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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749383">Pasadena Coffee Refill</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaya/pseuds/chaya'>chaya</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>M9 Beverage Series [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Dysfunctional Family, Fluff, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Team as Family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:30:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749383</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaya/pseuds/chaya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"We're standing in the middle of a train station," Beau says. "You don't even care. You're relaxed."</p><p>"He's happy to see us," Nott chimes in.</p><p>"He's getting laid regularly," Jester adds, beaming at Molly.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fjord/Jester Lavorre, Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast, Yeza Brenatto/Nott | Veth Brenatto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>M9 Beverage Series [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1290278</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>461</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Caleb and Molly get to the train station, the gang has already disembarked, and Nott is roasting Fjord about something.</p><p>"You - they're here!" Nott readjusts her duffel bag and gestures excitedly at the two. "Beau! Beau back me up."</p><p>"Hi," Caleb says, knowing that he's somehow already walked into the middle of a conversation and knowing it may be hopeless.</p><p>"I <em>wasn't</em>," Fjord counters in advance of... something.</p><p>"You were," Beau insists with a grin. "You were meditating on the train."</p><p>"I - I did <em>try</em>, for like, a <em>minute</em>, but-" Fjord huffs in exasperation, throwing an arm across Molly's shoulders when he comes in for a hug. "It's great to see you two, but everyone but me here sucks right now."</p><p>Jester's grinning from ear to ear when Molly reaches her. "You know how-"</p><p>"No, fuck you," Molly interrupts, and gives her a big hug. "<em>Hi, welcome to Pasadena, you assholes.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Yes, hi,</em>" Fjord responds. "<em>We are very happy to be here. Thank you for inviting us to your city.</em>"</p><p>"<em>Fjord has a crush on your old RA,</em>" Nott interjects.</p><p>"I don't," Fjord groans, and as Jester begins to say something back, Nott weaves around an elf family that steps between them and tugs Caleb to the side, pulling him by the sleeve and then by the shoulder for what is now a very familiar hug. Caleb feels like he's smiling down to his feet somehow. When they pull back, he looks her over. Nott has a new choppy haircut and bright green sneakers with little designs. She's giving him the quiet, warm expression that he understands completely.</p><p>"Missed you too," Caleb says.</p><p>"...and so I sent him a long thank you text, because, hey, free medical advice, but he quoted some guy I hadn't heard before and we got talking about Alan Watts? Who I had never heard of? And I don't like all his podcast recommendations but some of them are good." Fjord is crossing his arms over his chest and Molly is leaning in, ears tipped upward, at something on his wrist.</p><p>"A little meditationy bracelet?" Molly asks, less fiendishly than the others.</p><p>"Yeah, like," Fjord immediately puts his hands down, fidgets. "Just to like, remember to chill out."</p><p>Jester reaches her hand up to pat him on the shoulder. "Fjord's family's church has been getting kind of shitty lately, and I think it's <em>good</em> to find a better, like, spiritual connection. To stuff. Whatever works for you, you know?"</p><p>"You're really different," Beau says suddenly, and Caleb jumps, because she's next to him and staring right at him.</p><p>"What? You just got here. What do you mean?"</p><p>"We're standing in the middle of a train station," Beau says. "You don't even care. You're <em>relaxed</em>."</p><p>"He's happy to see us," Nott chimes in.</p><p>"He's getting laid regularly," Jester adds, beaming at Molly.</p><p>"Let's go drop off all your juuuunk," Molly singsongs. "I put out <em>snacks</em>, we've got <em>drinks</em>,"</p><p>Fjord claps a hand on Caleb's back as they begin to weave through departures, toward the exit. "Good to see you, man."</p><p>Caleb smiles at him. "You too. It's been too long."</p><p>"Moving go okay?" Fjord's expression flashes for a moment, and he puts some room between himself and Caleb, shuffling Nott in between them. Someone must have shoved her. (Even in times of great rivalry, nobody is allowed to stumble over her in crowds.)</p><p>"Yes, Molly has - Molly has really, um, 'taken to it'?"</p><p>"To housekeeping?" Nott asks from his shoulder. Just hearing her voice again, low down and not over a phone, is so nice.</p><p>"Yes, the whole thing." Caleb looks ahead to where Molly is gesturing something in the air as Beau looks on and laughs. "First unpacking, then organizing, then cooking, he is... he is great."</p><p>"That's good," Nott says. "With school and work, you still have a lot on your plate, right?"</p><p>Caleb shrugs a shoulder. "It is... very good to me. I just have one cons... con-sul-tan-cy job," he laughs at himself, "right now, with a company I have worked with before. So it is much slower."</p><p>"And that pays for the apartment and... everything else?" Nott looks surprised.</p><p>"It," Caleb works his lower lip a moment. "I will explain the family stuff later?"</p><p>"Sure," Fjord says encouragingly. "Really busy right now."</p><p>"We're stopping for soda machine!" Molly announces over his shoulder, pointing to the corner of the building and herding everyone in the same direction.</p><p>Caleb hears a quiet 'yesss' at his elbow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jester is definitely the most excited one about the apartment - she shouts about the view from the windows, the cute kitchen space, and finally, Molly's decorating. Caleb makes sure to point out the curtains Molly just finished, and then the 'haircut wall'.</p><p>"Salon wall," Molly stage whispers.</p><p>"That name still does not make sense to me," Caleb laughs. "It is many small framed things, spaced out. Do they do that in salons somewhere?"</p><p>"Well, it all looks great," Nott says.</p><p>"It's so <em>restrained</em>," Jester compliments.</p><p>Molly rolls his eyes, grinning. "I mean, it's not a teenager's bedroom." They've all seen his room back in Exandria at least once, where there was no wall visible for all the posters.</p><p>"Yes," Caleb agrees in an intentionally flat tone, "we are almost twenty now. No time for childish things."</p><p>Fjord snorts. "Well, it looks great. Neighbors quiet?"</p><p>"Yes, it's mostly single working professionals," Caleb says, eyes sliding to Molly's to see if he got the phrase right. One for two, at least. "When we moved in, I think the neighbors were very... nervous?"</p><p>"Standoffish?" Molly supplies. That word works - Caleb nods. "I think they thought we were gonna be throwing frat parties," Molly says with a wink.</p><p>Caleb nods. "And so, a few weeks in, we have not had many guests, or made much noise, and so now, everyone is okay with us."</p><p>"We'll be the first strike against your good name," Beau says, readjusting the strap on her bag.</p><p>"Oh! Shit." Molly flings an arm wide and moves to the second bedroom. "This is Caleb's office, temporarily the ladies' sleeping area, please come in, don't touch any buttons, anything that blinks..."</p><p>Caleb watches Molly, Beau, Nott, and Jester disappear into the office. He then turns to Fjord.</p><p>"The living room couch for you, I am afraid." He gestures to it apologetically.</p><p>"That works great." Fjord drops his backpack on it. "Honestly, thank you for having us all. Hotels around here are fuckin' expensive."</p><p>"Caleb!" Molly calls. "Can you get the booster out of the closet? I forgot."</p><p>"Yes," Caleb says, and jogs down the short hallway to the overcrowded closet.</p><p>"You didn't have to do that!" Nott shouts from the office.</p><p>"It is no problem!" Caleb shouts back, pulling one of the collapsed seat boosters from between the vacuum cleaner and a box of winter blankets he should probably donate. Fjord makes an interested noise at it, and Caleb hands it over as he shuts the closet door. "It is from a Gofundme," he explains. "Most booster seats are for dwarves and halflings, but gnomes and goblins are smaller, so..."</p><p>"So these ones sitcha higher?" Fjord fumbles with the hinged plastic panels for a few moments until a few begin to lock into place. "Oh! Cool, this actually looks like it's gonna be really sturdy."</p><p>"Good, because I weigh like two hundred pounds," Nott says, coming out of the office. "Caleb, you really didn't have to."</p><p>"I did," Caleb says gently. "And anyway, Yeza may come over sometime, he might appreciate it as well."</p><p>Nott squints. "Who's Yeza?"</p><p>Beau comes in behind her, grinning. "Caleb," she jokes, "didn't you know you're not allowed to know other small people?" Caleb rolls his eyes.</p><p>"Yeza's a biochem major," Molly explains, coming out of the office and directing Fjord to one of the dining chairs. "See the latches on the bottom? They fix it to the chair so it doesn't scoot."</p><p>"I could have been fine with a <em>stack of books</em>," Nott mumbles. She has that crease between her brows that means that someone has done something for her and she's touched but also unsure of how to deal with it. Caleb can relate. Maybe they should talk about something else.</p><p>"Well, it is too late, we already have it." Caleb notices Jester's raised hand. "Yes?"</p><p>"Yasha had us bring a present from her," Jester says, and Nott, Beau, and Fjord all share the look of having just remembered something. "And I want to give it to you guys now, because if it's in my bag any longer I'm worried it will... not <em>break</em>, but, spill?"</p><p>"Booze," Molly guesses, tail swishing mischievously as Jester disappears back into the office for a few moments.</p><p>"She told us to tell you how sorry she is, and," Fjord makes a helpless gesture as Caleb waves him off.</p><p>"We understand," Caleb says, and looks to Molly.</p><p>"We really do," Molly agrees. "Sometimes other life stuff happens."</p><p>Fjord nods, seeming to feel like he has dutifully reported the message, and grins as Jester comes back out holding a small potted plant.</p><p>"It's called a jade plant," Jester says, and as she continues talking, Molly examining it with great excitement, Caleb can't help but keep looking at Fjord. He's watching Jester talk with this look of... well, if Caleb didn't already know, he might miss it. But it's that gentle-caring sort of thing that Caleb can't believe he still keeps back.</p><p>"Caleb," Molly says, and Caleb blinks and moves his focus to him. "Can we move your little statue by the window? I think that's the only place this little guy could live."</p><p>"Of course," Caleb says, and it somehow becomes a group project, moving the little statue, putting the plant there, giving it a bit of water but not too much, discussing the statue before finding a new place for it to be in the living room, discussing other little details of the reclaimed coffee table, the oversized couch, the mismatched arm chairs. People find places to sit and sprawl out. Molly begins sneaking plates of snacks out of the fridge, passing them around, pouring glasses of water into mismatched mugs and passing those around as well.</p><p>Caleb thinks back to all the little things that have cropped up recently; things like Molly learning to make a proper breakfast, some balanced dinners, a few German dishes. Fussing over the best way to save money on groceries while only having so much pantry space for bulk purchases.</p><p>Caleb would tell Molly to take it easy if Molly didn't seem so happy to do it all. The way it started, with personalizing all the rooms... Molly's always been in a borrowed space, one way or another, and this is the first one that's really his. Split 'exactly down the middle', Caleb had insisted over and over, until Molly had finally believed him.</p><p>Hosting done, Molly finally sits next to him on the couch. Nott, on his other side, makes an exaggerated tipping move as if Molly had caused the whole couch to shift. Molly leans across Caleb's lap to tug Nott's ear.</p><p>"Racism," Nott fake-accuses. "Abuse."</p><p>"I thought this area was supposed to be more accepting," Jester says with a fake sigh.</p><p>"Not while Caleb's parents are still here," Beau says in a low voice, and Caleb notices Molly's ears tip back, flattening a little. Beau notices. "Did I say something?"</p><p>"No," Caleb assures. While he's never liked badmouthing his parents personally, he's never wanted to stop his friends from voicing their opinions, and... that shouldn't change. "I just, there have been..."</p><p>"Developments," Molly says, eyeing Caleb uncertainly. "I mean, it's your story to tell. Or to not tell."</p><p>"I am fine with it," Caleb says, putting his hands up. "You can say, I do not mind."</p><p>"Did they finally die in a fire?" Nott chirps.</p><p>"Don't say that," Caleb admonishes, before catching himself. "I mean. You can say other things, but please don't say things like that."</p><p>"Sorry," Nott says. "I won't. What happened?"</p><p>"Molly," Caleb requests, and Molly tilts his head.</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>"Yes," Caleb says. "You were there, you know everything that happened."</p><p>Caleb can tell the room is a little more still at 'you were there' - it's pretty well known that Molly and his parents hadn't met, and being at the center of some kind of drama is making Caleb feel a bit uncertain.</p><p>"Okay, well, I only caught half the German, so tell me if I tell anything wrong." Molly pats his leg with his tail and straightens a little. "So, last month, Caleb talked with his mom and said he was going to visit their condo and bring me this time."</p><p>"Holy shit," Beau says under her breath.</p><p>"Yeah," Molly says, and suddenly puts his hands up: "And, just to say again for the record, I have <em>not</em> been some sort of secret, Caleb has told me a million times that if I wanted to meet them he would set something up, I just knew what they were like and never had a strong urge, like, for anyone taking the minutes, here, Caleb has been a perfect boyfriend in all this."</p><p>Jester pulls her wrists up and dutifully takes this down on an invisible typewriter. "Perfect..." She pretends to tap more keys. "Boyfriend."</p><p>Molly's mouth crooks into a smile. "So," he sighs. "So she's like 'okay, if you want', and Caleb tells me about this call like 'she sounds really, like... frigid, about this, so if you wanna not come, you don't have to come'. And I say, 'No, let's finally do this, I'm not going anywhere...'"</p><p>Caleb smiles at Beau's sympathetic little pout at this.</p><p>"And so we go just to meet his mom, because his dad says he has a thing, which means he doesn't wanna, which, okay," Molly twirls a hand in the air dismissively. "And we get there and it's <em>real. Fuckin. Weird.</em>"</p><p>"Oh noooo," Jester whispers, as Nott and Fjord hiss through their teeth in unison.</p><p>"Yeah," Molly says. "So, Caleb's mom's English is good, it's not Caleb-good, but she can have a conversation, you know? But she kind of welcomes us in and gets us drinks but keeps calling me Caleb's <em>friend from school</em>,"</p><p>Beau makes a disapproving low tone.</p><p>"And I'm like, I'm not here to be introduced to you as your son's friend, so I'm like, 'Actually, I'm his boyfriend! The word is boyfriend', and I'm very polite about it," Molly turns to Caleb, who dutifully nods to agree. "And soon she, um, she switches to German? And just keeps talking to Caleb and ignoring me?"</p><p>There is a new disapproving low tone at Caleb's left elbow.</p><p>"But you understand," Fjord says hesitantly.</p><p>"Yeah, I understand most... like, from context, I got nearly all of it," Molly says, and looks to Caleb again. "Like, '<em>I'm very disappointed, why are you acting out,</em> that kinda … stuff..."</p><p>"That kind of stuff," Caleb agrees shortly.</p><p>"And Caleb keeps saying, in English, 'Back to English, please, don't be rude,' and 'Molly is a very good person, he is'..." Molly works his jaw, and Caleb worries for a moment that this may be too emotional a story to recount without tears. "...'he is trustworthy, kind, you haven't ever met him before, you're judging him before you've met him.'..."</p><p>The room is quiet for a second, and Caleb tries to figure out what is best to do. He finally settles on tilting his head until his temple presses against the edge of Molly's horn.</p><p>"I lied, and lied, and lied..." Caleb jokes softly, which thankfully causes the room to break out in soft giggles.</p><p>Molly's cheek, barely in Caleb's peripheral vision, rises in a smile. "Yeah," he says. "So, um, she starts on this thing like '<em>you are just doing this to punish us,</em> she goes way back, <em>first we have to leave home and it's been hell since then,</em>"</p><p>"Isn't the condo a <em>beachside</em> condo?" Fjord interjects animatedly.</p><p>"That <em>you pay for?</em>" Jester adds.</p><p>"Yes," Caleb confirms. "I got a free ride for college and as soon as I got paychecks from work, I started sharing, and then I moved them out here-"</p><p>"-to the neighborhood <em>they picked</em>," Molly points out.</p><p>"So what happened," Jester says, a little apologetically.</p><p>"So... it keeps going like that, and Caleb is trying to like, counter her <em>in English</em>, while she's still going in <em>German</em>, she starts talking more shit about how she never would have moved to this new place if she'd known how many elves would be on her street, but she-" Molly pinches the bridge of his nose. "She called Caleb <em>selfish</em>..."</p><p>The room erupts in a series of silent but very communicative expressions.</p><p>"<em>Yeah</em>," Molly agrees. "So, um, I kind of lose it, I - I don't <em>shout</em> at her, but I tell her she doesn't know her son at all and she doesn't know how hard he works..." Caleb pulls back, blinking at Molly's retelling, but Molly doesn't seem to notice. "And, you know, I know about the money stuff, I know that Caleb has never done anything but apologize for his fuckup as a kid and that he spoils them now, and if she wasn't busy being self-centered and racist maybe she could realize that,"</p><p>"You are leaving off the best part," Caleb murmurs, astonished.</p><p>"What? Oh, that's just braggy," Molly's cheeks are tinged purple.</p><p>"Tell us," Nott demands immediately.</p><p>Caleb turns to her. "He told her all that <em>in German</em>."</p><p>Beau leans back as Jester cackles.</p><p>"And?" Fjord prompts, laughing.</p><p>"His grammar was very good!" Caleb says, grinning a little despite the weight of the topic. "He used the formal 'Sie' the whole time, it was very impressive."</p><p>"She hated it," Molly intones with not a little quiet pride.</p><p>"That owns," Beau says. "Fuck, that must've been cathartic."</p><p>"You were yelling for all of us," Nott agrees.</p><p>"Yes, I felt some multicolored spirits at my back, whispering, '<em>mortgage payments!</em>" Molly rolls his eyes. "But fuck if I know how to say <em>that</em> in German."</p><p>"Hypothekenzahlungen," Caleb says apologetically.</p><p>"How many words is that?" Nott asks, bewildered.</p><p>Caleb holds up one finger. Fjord groans.</p><p>"Go back to the story where you tell Caleb's mom off," Jester entreats.</p><p>"That's kind of it," Molly admits. "I said all that, and she got really red and didn't say anything, and then she told Caleb, 'you never told me he speaks German', and he was like, in English, 'I've told you over and over he's learning German for me', and she pretended 'nein', like, full denial mode on everything ever, and that went back and forth a few times and then Caleb was like 'you know what? Molly, can you go wait for me outside,'" and Molly gestures someone walking away, and then mimes waiting, checking his watch, dragging it out a bit, "and finally, he comes out, and takes my hand, and we just... walk, a few blocks, and then he's like, 'They have both been like that to me for so long, but seeing her be like that to you, it's too much. Maybe I deserved it once, I don't know if I still do, you <em>definitely</em> don't, I told her if she can't be respectful to you she won't see me, and if she hates it here so much I will sign the deed to her, and she can sell and use the equity to move back to Germany with plenty of money to start over.'"</p><p>"Holy fuck," Fjord says.</p><p>Caleb nods. "She was very mad at... when she was talking to me, she was being very... free... with her words... and realizing Molly knew, I think she could barely pretend not to be ashamed. And so she was very mad instead, and she said, 'yes, get me out of here, I hate it...'" Caleb notices Jester's eyeroll and laughs. "Yes, when she is upset suddenly she has never made any immigrant human friends here, she never enjoys the beach, or the house, or... anyway, she said she wanted to go, so, I went over the next day and we switched the deed, and I am never giving them money again. I am done. I told them I will call them on their birthdays and that is all."</p><p>The room absolutely silent. Caleb panics a little, looking from face to face, realizing that all of them are staring at each other, exchanging shocked looks. After a few seconds he's sure it's a good kind of shocked. Mostly sure.</p><p>"Um, please say something," he mumbles.</p><p>Beau gestures emphatically with the hand not reaching for more crackers. "We've wanted this for you since <em>forever</em>," she says.</p><p>"Yeah," Nott adds, almost in unison with Fjord.</p><p>"They were never nice to you and everything was always your fault and even if they <em>weren't</em> racist, which they are, they like, seemed to teach you you weren't ever allowed to be happy." Jester wrinkles her nose.</p><p>Fjord tugs the cracker and dip dish away from Beau so he can get some. "Like, Beau has always been really vocal about knowing her parents were shit, so we could, uh, agree with her,"</p><p>Nott is patting Caleb's knee. Caleb smiles down at her, stunned at how he could ever forget the small gesture she used to do so often. She smiles back at him.</p><p>"Right," Beau's saying.</p><p>"But you um, you always kind of didn't like us shit-talking yours too much, because... you seemed to have trouble agreeing with us that you didn't deserve it." Fjord laughs at Molly's extremely enthusiastic nodding. "So, y'know, we're super glad that you're cutting them off, and also that you know you <em>deserve</em> to cut them off, like, that you don't, uh, deserve... them. Treating you..."</p><p>"Like he doesn't deserve?" Nott finishes.</p><p>"Goddammit, Nott, I'm trying to say something, here."</p><p>"No, you were doing great."</p><p>"<em>Seriously,</em>" Jester says loudly, glaring between them. "Good job, Caleb."</p><p>"Molly gets partial credit," Beau adds. "He's been helping with the brain gremlins, right?"</p><p>"I think they have a more official name than that," Caleb says, trying for a joking tone while still trying to endure this amount of emotional attention. "But, yes, Molly has been great for me. Not just all the," he gestures to the walls, the coffee table full of snacks. "But, also, keeping my head on right. On right?" He looks to Molly. "On straight?"</p><p>"On straight," the rest of the room confirms in unison, and then Jester breaks out in a cackle and tilting over a bit in her armchair.</p><p>"What?" Caleb asks.</p><p>"I <em>missed</em> doing that," she says, holding her stomach. "God. I missed <em>you</em>, Caleb."</p><p>"We all did," Nott adds.</p><p>"And Molly, ever since you stole him from us." Beau's grinning at Molly.</p><p>Molly leans forward, picking a little cheese square off a plate. "You only love me for my snacks."</p><p>"Get me one," Nott murmurs.</p><p>"Get your own."</p><p>"I can't, this couch is big, and I'm little. No, cheddar. Get me a cheddar."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>All the reader responses have been VERY welcome. Thank you guys. It's very motivating.</p><p>If you want, you can also come hang out on <a href="https://ivadeshin.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They begin to go around the room. Fjord prods Jester into talking about her channel, grinning as she gets happier and more blushy as she continues to discuss it.</p><p>"I remember when you started that thing," Beau says. "It was like, that one sewing video for making different shaped tail holes in jeans,"</p><p>Caleb makes an emphatic agreeing sound around his mug of tea.</p><p>"And when you made that first fashion video you made us all watch it like <em>five times</em>," Beau takes on a slight accent, "'Will anyone care? Do you think they will care?'"</p><p>Nott pretends to toss long hair over her shoulder, also mimicking: "'I just don't knowwww, guys.'"</p><p>Jester laughs and swats at them. "Shut up!"</p><p>Fjord pokes her shoulder. "At least tell them about your mysterious patron."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>"On Patreon," Fjord reminds her.</p><p>"Oh! Shit. Yeah." Jester straightens up, unaware of the ketchup smear at the corner of her mouth. "I officially have a patron, on Patreon, at my $100/month level thingy!"</p><p>Molly's eyes go round. "And it's - ? And it's <em>not</em> connected to an OnlyFans?"</p><p>Jester sticks her tongue out. "I do <em>fashion</em> and <em>lifestyle</em> vlogging and <em>political commentary on nonhuman race issues</em>, thank you very <em>much</em>."</p><p>Caleb squints. "Is OnlyFans the new porn one?"</p><p>"Basically," Jester says. "There's some recent drama about them not treating sex workers fairly, but... let's talk about someone else, I don't want to talk about me anymore."</p><p>"You're a successful businesswoman," Beau says. "You should be, like. Proud."</p><p>"Yeah," Fjord agrees. Caleb tries to shoot him a look to say something more, but he misses it.</p><p>"Who should go next?" Jester asks.</p><p>Nott hangs her head and raises her hand. Everyone makes a sympathetic sound.</p><p>"Speaking of shitty families," Molly mutters, not unkindly.</p><p>"Yep," Nott says.</p><p>"We can skip you," Caleb suggests.</p><p>"Nope, I've done enough of these one-on-one, let's do the whole thing." Nott pops the last cheese square in her hand into her mouth, chews resolutely, and swallows. "So I <em>haven't</em> been able to do much, because I'm stuck going to court over and over for this long-ass trial, because my family are a bunch of thieves."</p><p>"Boo," Jester says, and from anyone else, it would be joking. But her eyes are squinty and judgmental.</p><p>"Boo," Nott agrees. "So, to reassure everyone for the last time, <em>I am not facing any charges,</em> I am just a witness that keeps getting subpoenaed over and over to go, 'Yes, I heard them on the phone pretending to be the IRS,' like, seven different ways, and 'No, I don't remember the date and time of when that was, I was twelve,' and, yeah."</p><p>"It's taken so <em>long</em> to get this retrial," Beau mutters.</p><p>"There's some legal strategy to like, getting these small fish before they get some bigger fish, or they're still trying to get these small fish to roll on the bigger fish, I dunno." Nott flips her hand back and forth and leans forward to reach her seltzer from the coffee table. "But the cafe has been really good about letting me take shifts off, I definitely don't want to work there forever, but I get a discount on the baked goods shelf, so, things could be worse."</p><p>"Well, hooray for baked goods, at least," Fjord says.</p><p>"See, my family is not so bad," Caleb says to Molly, drawing a laugh from Beau.</p><p>"See this tail?" Molly's tail rises up between them, wavering back and forth with some menace. "It'll swat."</p><p>"Hmm," Caleb says, pretending to evaluate its threat level.</p><p>"Let's do Fjord next," Nott says. "Fjord, you've been sitting still with your eyes closed, thinking about nothing."</p><p>Fjord throws his hands up. "I've mediated, like, <em>not even once a day</em>, for the last couple weeks," he says.</p><p>"That's great," Jester says, pushing the chip bowl toward him.</p><p>"I'm doing half days at the docks, trying to get some good money saved up. The online community courses are alright but I think-" He shrugs. "I'm getting way more into the, like, oceanography part of everything than I thought, and, like, I'm doing fine in my other classes? I could still do my shipping/receiving track thing if I want?"</p><p>"But you found something more interesting," Molly supplies.</p><p>"Yeah! And the online courses are great for trade stuff like I was originally going for, but maybe if I switch over to, I dunno, oceanography, or environmental science, or even hydrology, that's, like, I'd take my gen eds from this place, and," He mimes hefting them from one place to another. "Find a place better suited to that. If I'm gonna do that I might as well do it <em>well</em>."</p><p>"Your grades were good," Beau says encouragingly around a mouthful of salsa. "You could do it."</p><p>"We have an ocean nearby," Molly says innocently, gesturing out the window. Caleb swats him.</p><p>"Fjord should go wherever he wants," Caleb intones.</p><p>"Fjord should move here and so should everyone else," Molly replies evenly. "It's the best answer."</p><p>"This place is expensive," Nott points out.</p><p>"We have a <em>couch</em>," Molly says, gesturing downward. "We have a <em>booster</em>." He gestures over to the dining area.</p><p>"They have <em>crackers,</em>" Jester adds, using both hands to gesture at the snack plate.</p><p>"They have a <em>cat</em>, somewhere," Beau says thoughtfully. "Where is Frumpkin?"</p><p>Caleb wordlessly points to Fjord, who looks guilty.</p><p>"Ohhh," Beau says. "Closed up in the bedroom?"</p><p>"Sorry," Fjord apologizes.</p><p>Molly waves it away. "He's got everything in there. Including his new catnip fish. He's in heaven."</p><p>"Can we see him?" Jester asks hopefully.</p><p>"Sure!" Molly gets up, leading the girls to the bedroom. "We tidied up before you got here, the sex swing is taken down and put away in the closet,"</p><p>Caleb's eyes go wide and he feels his face burn. "<em>MOLLY.</em>"</p><p>"Kidding." Molly's voice trails off as he lets the girls into the bedroom, then shuts the door: "We put it under the bed, not in the closet."</p><p>The room goes quiet. Fjord, still looking a little apologetic, clears his throat and gets up. "I'm gonna get some more water, you want anything?"</p><p>"No, thank you." Caleb sips his tea and stares into it. "We do not have a sex swing."</p><p>Fjord snorts. "Hey, your relationship is your relationship."</p><p>Caleb spots an opportunity. "Speaking of which."</p><p>Fjord turns on the tap and starts moving some glassware around, making much more noise than is strictly necessary. Caleb, from his spot on the couch, can sense the desperation coming from the kitchen area in waves.</p><p>"You know what I am going to say," Caleb says, only loud enough to just be heard over the water and the clinking glass.</p><p>"Great apartment you got." Fjord sounds a little strangled.</p><p>"I seem to remember a text last week," Caleb muses aloud, "about scheduling a, what was it called,"</p><p>"Soooooo,"</p><p>"A <em>one-on-one</em> hangout,"</p><p>Fjord comes back with his full water glass and mimes cutting across his throat, looking worriedly down the hall.</p><p>"Where you were planning to talk," Caleb says, lowering his voice further but squinting his eyes to convey his determination.</p><p>"Listen, man, it's hard."</p><p>"Talk about <em>things.</em>"</p><p>Fjord grits his teeth and sighs, deflating a little. "I chickened out. It's the same reason as always."</p><p>There's a sudden synchronous set of 'awwws!' from the girls in the other room. Fjord looks over, confused.</p><p>"Frumpkin has learned to stand up in your lap and boop your nose with his nose," Caleb explains coolly.</p><p>"That sounds <em>very</em> cute."</p><p>"It is. You should tell her."</p><p>"I know. I mean, I think so." Fjord digs his teeth into his lower lip a little, looking torn. Caleb's seen this face so many times. He understands. Fjord doesn't want to lose his oldest friend. There's something very important at risk here. "Sometimes I think she'd take it well, and she might - she might, I dunno - but whenever it's the moment and I look at her, I just think, 'What's worth risking...? Losing her?'" Fjord's phone beeps, and he pulls it out of his pocket, blinking for a moment and then crumpling further into his chair, already sticking his phone out so Caleb can see.</p><p>Jester has texted him a photo of Frumpkin in Beau's lap, booping her nose.</p><p>"The cat is very cute," Caleb says sympathetically.</p><p>"Very cute," Fjord agrees, a little miserable.</p><p>"It's nice that the cat is making sure you are still included, right now."</p><p>Fjord makes a pained sound.</p><p>"The cat seems to make a lot of thoughtful gestures like that to you."</p><p>"Byeeee," the girls are singsonging in unison, in the other room. Fjord straightens and relaxes his face, fiddling with his phone for a few moments before holding it up and making a little acknowledging face to Jester as she walks back in.</p><p>"Isn't he the sweetest?" Jester coos.</p><p>Beau washes her hands at the kitchen sink. "Fjord's super allergies," she reminds the other two girls, who nod and line up. Molly scoots in front of them both, and when Beau's clear, he begins to rummage around under the kitchen sink. Caleb frowns. "Schatz?"</p><p>"The stepstool," Molly calls back.</p><p>"Ah." Caleb looks at Nott's shocked expression. "What? There is one under the bathroom sink also."</p><p>"I can..." and she gets on her tiptoes, wobbling, but she is already past pretending to be indignant, just looking touched. Caleb smiles at her.</p><p>"By the way, Caleb," Beau says, pulling out her phone, "I <em>did</em> see the sex swing peeking out from under the bed, but I just nudged it back under with my foot, so don't worry." She holds a finger up to her lips and winks at him.</p><p>Caleb takes a deep breath. "Thai, right? We agreed on Thai in the group chat? For dinner?"</p><p>"Thaiiiii," Molly sings in agreement as he picks his way through the bags to return to his spot on the couch.</p><p>Caleb pulls up the online menu and begins plugging in orders. Molly is making faces at Beau across the room while Jester, encouraged by Caleb to order whatever she wants, tries to decide on some appetizers to split. Nott is on her phone, sneakers tapping together at the edge of the couch as she scrolls. In his mind, Caleb remembers the patchy grass they would sit on, backpacks strewn around as they talked over each other. This isn't so different. He smiles at his phone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The delivery guy arrives late, which gives everyone time to polish off the snack plates. Molly stacks the thick paper plates and folds them before stuffing them into the trash can.</p><p>"We usually use real plates," he says, "but there's lots of guests right now, and you're all savages."</p><p>"<em>We're</em> all savages," Beau corrects. "Include yourself."</p><p>"<em>We're</em> all savages."</p><p>"I got the beef one," Nott is saying to Fjord, handing the takeout container back up to him.</p><p>"Oh," Fjord says, and frowns at it. "Chicken? Jester?"</p><p>"Meeee," she singsongs from her place at the dining table, and Fjord scoots out from between Molly and Beau to bring it to her. Caleb watches this exchange and wonders if Jester even notices that she's the only one who didn't have to get up.</p><p>"Here," Molly says, and Caleb looks up from his seat and blinks at the tray of food in front of him.</p><p>"Oh, danke." He takes it. "I was waiting for the kitchen to-"</p><p>"Clear out," Molly says, and plops down next to him with his own tray. "I gotcha."</p><p>"It's Beau's turn," Nott says, sliding her tray carefully onto the table before climbing up onto her chair. She shakes the booster gently, testing how well it's attached, before settling in and wiggling her hips back and forth.</p><p>"Is it good?" Jester says, leaning closer to Nott to peer at it. "Is it better than books?"</p><p>Nott makes a show of thinking about it, slowly leaning back against the tall back of the booster and shimmying a little. "Books aren't this comfortable," she concludes finally. "And I'm closer to the edge of the table, no hunching. Ten outta ten."</p><p>"Ten outta ten," Molly says, and does a small dab. "Another online shopping success."</p><p>Nott aligns her takeout tray just so and begins to dig in. "Beau, you haven't done your update yet."</p><p>"Mmph." Beau swallows and puts her plastic fork down to tick off her fingers. "I'm in Intro to Poli Sci, and then it's Weight Lifting, and then... to get the English gen ed out of the way without coming in Tuesday/Thursdays, I went with, uh, Journalism? Which actually..."</p><p>"You've b'n liking i'," Jester says around a mouthful of noodles.</p><p>"Yeah," Beau says hesitantly. "Like, less the putting a story together and selling it, more the investigation part, I guess. I've gotten to write some papers on some old dead guys who wrecked some people's shit by exposing them, that's been fun."</p><p>Molly hums thoughtfully. "That sounds right for you," he says finally. "Getting in people's business. Being annoying, stubborn."</p><p>"<em>You</em> haven't gone yet," Beau points out.</p><p>Molly shrugs. "All the stage updates are boring right now. But I <em>did</em> meet up with the LA ladies who found me back when I was a kid? You remember -?"</p><p>"The working ladies," Fjord provides. "You sent us those pictures of you at a restaurant, you all looked really happy."</p><p>Molly beams. "They were really happy that I turned out okay! Relieved, I think. Which, valid. Foster care can suck. Sooo, Becca's married with a kid now, Christina's got an office job, they're like... they're doing okay too."</p><p>Nott pokes Caleb's thigh. "That was like, his version of meeting the parents! And you didn't go!"</p><p>Caleb waves his fork side to side, shaking his head, still chewing.</p><p>"I wanted to go on my own," Molly admits. "Besides, my parent is back in Exandria. He's a half-elf who's sick of my shit but loves me anyway."</p><p>"He loves his tiefling gay son," Jester chirps.</p><p>"He does," Molly agrees, beaming. "And I FaceTimed with him last week and dumped the whole story about visiting Caleb's mom, and he was like," Caleb can already feel himself blushing as Molly sits up straighter and lowers his voice to do the impression, "'Oh, okay, maybe that's for the best. He's German, but does he care about Thanksgiving? Should we just have him for holidays now?' Like, Gustav is ready to be everyone's dad."</p><p>"I love that," Jester says, grinning.</p><p>"A little incestuous," Fjord says, pointing between Molly and Caleb.</p><p>"Ew," Caleb protests.</p><p>"Yeah, ew," Beau adds.</p><p>"Okay, yeah, withdrawn." Fjord shakes his head. "Strike it, Jester."</p><p>Jester pulls up her invisible typewriter and mimes striking it from the record, but does not put her fork down to do so.</p><p>"Thank you, Jester."</p><p>"Y'r w'lcm."</p><p>**</p><p>After they're done, Fjord helps clean up the trash and Beau insists on helping Molly carry it to the trash room.</p><p>"We gotta do something while we're here," she says, lifting the bag out of the can. "Besides, Thai food is like, the most delicious thing and then also the most nasty smell three hours later, let's get this outta here."</p><p>"She's right," Caleb says from the couch, where Nott is going through her phone and showing him pictures of main street back home. "It is science."</p><p>"Is it?" Beau asks, suspiciously.</p><p>"Yes, but not computer science, so do not ask me to explain."</p><p>"Fair."</p><p>When Beau and Molly return, and have the door locked and the SilverThread suite back up, Beau turns to Caleb.</p><p>"So..." She gives him a look. "For the next few days, do we have, like... a schedule...?"</p><p>"We have a schedule," Caleb confirms, knowing to immediately couch it: "but everything is optional, obviously, and it, I do not have <em>every hour</em> blocked out, or anything."</p><p>"We didn't think you did," Nott assures him, and is definitely lying.</p><p>Caleb lets this go. "So for instance, there is an open brunch tomorrow, at my old dormitory."</p><p>"What's that entail?" Fjord asks. "Like, open means non-students?"</p><p>Caleb nods. "Students can invite friends, and I checked with Caduceus, he let me invite all of you because I pitched in to help pay for ingredients."</p><p>"You're flush with cash now that you aren't paying for all your parents' shit." Beau seems happy about it.</p><p>Molly seesaws his hand. "We're like, now able to put money into savings, which we kind of could barely do before." He shoulder bumps Caleb. "And we can do that with only one consulting gig, so Caleb has more free time. It's good."</p><p>"Anyway, mimosas," Nott says.</p><p>"No underage drinking, please," Caleb requests. "I do not think I would get in trouble, but I think Caduceus would, for hosting."</p><p>"Haven't I heard that he's vegetarian?" Beau squints and looks over to Fjord.</p><p>"He is," Fjord confirms, reluctant to admit that he knows.</p><p>"So, this will be a baconless brunch...?"</p><p>Caleb shakes his head. "No, lots of people are cooking, you will still have your bacon."</p><p>"Okay." Beau crosses her arms and nods. "I am down for this brunch."</p><p>"I think we all are," Jester says. "Right? We get to meet one of your school friends, too?"</p><p>"Probably more than one," Caleb says. "Free food is, like..." He gestures. "Everyone will show up. Especially because Caduceus is actually a very good cook."</p><p>"Your boyfriend is so multi-talented," Nott says to Fjord.</p><p>Fjord, too tired to fight any further, just rubs his palms down his face.</p><p>"Let Fjord have a guy friend," Jester admonishes gently.</p><p>"Yeah," Molly pitches in. "Don't contribute to toxic masculinity. Let the cishet have a bro." His phone beeps, and he pulls it out to check it. "Oh, Caleb, Bryce is gonna be there after all."</p><p>Caleb smiles. "Good! You all will like Bryce, they are very cool."</p><p>"Bryce made up their own major," Molly says, "which, to a non-secondary education person, sounds completely illegal."</p><p>Fjord laughs. "Majoring in Graduating College in One Year."</p><p>"It isn't..." Caleb laughs. "They did many tech and security classes, and did a good job, and there is, here, there is no... exact major for what they want to do, so they got their TA to sign off. It is some long name about online security interfacing with physical security."</p><p>Beau narrows her eyes. "So like, how not to get hacked, but also how not to get... broken into? Like, your building?"</p><p>"<em>Yes</em>," Caleb says, enthusiastic. "Sort of wholistic defense. Bryce will be the best guardian of data and also of anything else."</p><p>"I like how you still struggle with some English words and phrases but you can talk about 'interfacing with security'." Jester grins.</p><p>"It's what my classes sound like, honestly." Caleb shrugs. "And most of my textbooks."</p><p>"But also." Molly holds his hand up to signal importance. "If Bryce begins talking about key boxes, anything about key boxes... just bail. Abort. There is no way to avoid that rant. And! Don't ask me what a key box is, because I still don't know. Also, strikebars? Bryce is great, but they have some rants."</p><p>"I cannot judge," Caleb admits, "because he and I have some overlapping arguments about cloud services."</p><p>"I need to talk about something that is not technology," Nott declares. "Like, Caleb, I love you and respect your whole thing, you are a brilliant mind, but my dumb stupid mind wants to move onto Pajama Mode."</p><p>Beau's eyebrows lift. "Pajama Mode!" she echoes. "Fuck, did we even remember to mention that?"</p><p>Caleb looks to Molly, who shrugs. Fjord, also confused, tilts his head. "What is this? Is this a girl thing?"</p><p>"We mentioned this in the planning group chat," Jester says, holding her phone up.</p><p>"Not to be an ass, but that thing got <em>crazy</em> long."</p><p>Jester's jaw drops. "You muted me!"</p><p>"Not- not<em> you</em>, like, <em>specifically</em>-"</p><p>"He muted a chat <em>that you were in</em>," Beau clarifies, clearly trying to get in front of this as well for Fjord's benefit.</p><p>"WELL," Nott says loudly, changing the subject before the indignity can ramp up. <em>And you think you aren't brilliant</em>, Caleb thinks to himself. "Pajama Mode was our decision to bring our most ridiculous pajamas to wear, because this is basically one big multi-day sleepover. Like, stupid, but kinda fun?"</p><p>Molly shrugs. "Yeah. I mean, Caleb and I have <em>all</em> our clothes here, so we can pick out-"</p><p>"Schatz, don't sign me up for-"</p><p>Molly swats Caleb's knee with his tail. "You don't have super embarrassing pajamas anyway!"</p><p>"Little keyboards and mice printed all over the pants," Jester guesses, clearly imagining.</p><p>"No," Beau says. "<em>Kittens</em>."</p><p>Fuck.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shoutout to everyone who's commented or said hi on the discord; you guys keep the inertia going!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm gonna go chaaange!" Molly declares, getting up. "Do any of you want night showers instead of morning showers? Should we try to break it up in about half? Do whatever you want, I piled all the towels and washcloths and everything on the little niche in the bathroom, help yourselves."</p><p>"Thank you," the guests singsong in almost-unison. Beau puts a hand up for a shower, and, seeing nobody else is interested, lurches to her feet and disappears into the hallway.</p><p>"You think I'm annoying," Jester is saying quietly to Fjord.</p><p>"<em>No</em>," Fjord is saying back, very emphatically. "Sometimes my phone is just beeping too much, and two thirds of it was other people, and - you are not annoying. I do not think you're annoying."</p><p>Caleb watches Jester pout at him, fishing for further reassurances. Fjord's expression would fit on someone trying to disarm a bomb.</p><p>"You're doing a great job," Nott says at Caleb's elbow, pulling his attention.</p><p>"Job?" He echoes, fumbling for the thread. "At, hosting?"</p><p>"No." Nott gestures around the apartment. "That's fine too. I just mean, your life. You're doing a lot at once and you're doing great. And I'm proud of you."</p><p>Caleb looks down at his lap. "I'm just doing regular things," he mumbles. Sometimes Nott gets so sincere, it is hard to take it in. He's grown enough to know that Nott is serious and that he isn't scum who doesn't deserve compliments, but actually <em>accepting</em> said compliments is still... hard.</p><p>"You're doing a lot," Nott says, leaning so her temple bonks good-naturedly against his shoulder. "School. Job. Family stuff. Relationship stuff. I'm proud of you."</p><p>"Are you going to keep saying that," Caleb says, throat a little tight, "until I. Listen to you."</p><p>"I've got several days," Nott points out, and Caleb can't help but smile a little.</p><p>"<em>Pants!</em>" Molly announces, sliding out from the master bedroom and into the hallway on bare feet. He's wearing the multicolor striped pajama pants, because of course he is, along with a worn-thin white t-shirt.</p><p>"The shirt is phoned in," Nott accuses immediately.</p><p>"It's about the <em>pants</em>," Molly says, showcasing them with his hands. "Don't want to distract from the <em>pants</em>."</p><p>"Did you steal them from a circus person?" Fjord asks.</p><p>"Almost as good! Yuna made them from sewing scraps and gave it to me as a dare for Christmas one year." Molly turns around and shakes his hips a little. "See? Her signature keyhole tail hole."</p><p>Jester leans in. "Scoot closer," she says, and Molly walks backward several steps while still sticking his ass out. "Yeah," Jester admits finally, "Yuna always did do really good tail holes for your clothes. And on silk, too, that's very impressive, Molly."</p><p>"I come from a very talented family." Molly beams and goes to sit back down on the couch. "Caleb, I laid out your outfit for you."</p><p>Caleb looks at him flatly. As nice as he looks in this worn out shirt and these very revealing thin pants, all the lust has been suddenly driven out of him. "Mollymauk."</p><p>"You were gonna pick the wrong ones if I didn't help."</p><p>"We are all gonna look silly," Jester reassures him. "Like, mine is unicorn-y." She looks to Fjord, who blinks.</p><p>"I... was unaware of the theme until a few minutes ago," he says.</p><p>"Oh! Right." Jester gets up, making her way toward the office where her bag is. "I'll get you my pajamas I was gonna wear tomorrow, those are pretty good."</p><p>"<em>Fuck</em>," Fjord mutters under his breath.</p><p>"You gotta," Molly says. It's almost consoling.</p><p>"She will not stand for anything else," Caleb points out.</p><p>"Speaking of." Molly's tail spade begins pressing between Caleb's ribs, prodding him away. "Go on, set a good example."</p><p>"In my own home." Caleb gets to his feet and takes his empty mug to the sink, shaking his head. "Bullied. Under my own roof."</p><p>In the quiet of his bedroom, everything feels very calm. Caleb realizes that while he enjoys the activity of having everyone here, of seeing them, there is also something very welcome about a brief respite from it. He stares forward into nothing for a few moments, breathing deeply, before finally resigning himself to looking down at the bed where his Kitchen Cats pajama pants are laid out with... his Exandria High t-shirt. Well, the shirt isn't so bad, even if the neck is really stretched out...</p><p>Caleb sighs, giving in to it, and changes to the sound of Frumpkin stretching and resettling in his favorite cardboard box that has been moved to the open closet. "You do not have to wear stupid things," Caleb mumbles. "I only buy you sensible clothes. Bow ties. A very soft sweater, for winter. You always get to look distinguished."</p><p>Frumpkin looks at him over the rim of the box, unperturbed.</p><p>"You're right." Caleb runs a hand through his hair. "I am spending time with good friends. I should just relax."</p><p>Frumpkin rests his chin on the rim of the box and closes his eyes.</p><p>"Good talk. Danke." Caleb takes it step by step down the hallway, and only makes it most of the way before Beau, wearing a baggy Exandria U tee and some offensively neon yellow track pants, spots him and actually <em>cackles</em> in delight.</p><p>"They're all wearing little chefs hats!" She crows, as the others in the living room lean and scoot to see where Caleb has stopped in their tracks. "Oh my god! Caleb!"</p><p>"One of my best gifts yet," Molly says with a tone of supreme satisfaction.</p><p>Fjord leans in, pointing. "Are those spatulas?"</p><p>"With like, cake mix bits on them, yes," Caleb says, pulling at the fabric at his thigh to smooth it out in display. Might as well own it. "Is dollop the right word?"</p><p>"Yes," the room says in unison, and Jester presses her palms against her cheeks as Caleb sits back down and Molly pulls one of the spare quilts over them both like a cozy shield. Only visible from the chin up, and with a tail holding him firmly around the waist, this is actually fine now.</p><p>"Oh," Jester says sadly. "Goodbye, cats."</p><p>Caleb considers it, then sticks one foot out of the quilt enough that the cat print on the pant leg is visible again. Jester's ears perk back up and she smiles happily at him.</p><p>Nott comes out in a matched set with a multicolor button print. Caleb remembers Jester getting those for her either junior or senior year, and they look very well-worn. "These are still my softest ones," she compliments, tugging at the slightly too-long sleeves.</p><p>"And you're still sure you don't want me to hem them?" Jester asks.</p><p>"Yes," Nott says enthusiastically, and tugs her fingers under the sleeve hems so she can wiggle her arms around dramatically.</p><p>"The smallest inflatable car sales thingy," Fjord says in fake admiration. Beau laughs.</p><p>"Fjord, Jester, you're still not in theme," Beau says.</p><p>"Fuck," Fjord says. Jester just gets up, doing an excited little shimmy, and herds him down the hallway. As a unit, Molly, Nott, and Caleb all wait for Beau, who has a better vantage point, to nod once Jester's in the office and Fjord's in the bathroom to change.</p><p>"Shit-talking time?" Molly says quietly, one eyebrow quirked.</p><p>"Not <em>shit</em>-talking," Caleb says, sticking a hand out to see-saw it. "Just, come on."</p><p>"Real quick," Beau says, "remember Avantika? That girlfriend he had for like five minutes?"</p><p>"Yes," Nott says, overlapping with Molly's "Crazy."</p><p>Beau nods at both. "She started liking his Instagram posts again out of nowhere like, twooo weeks ago? And Jes is <em>super</em> suspicious about it."</p><p>Caleb's brows come together. "She thinks that Avantika and he... are...?"</p><p>"No, she thinks Avantika's trying to crazy her way back in, and <em>as a friend</em>, she doesn't want her anywhere near him." Beau rolls her eyes. "Anyway, yeah."</p><p>Caleb wants to make sure this conversation does not get overly long and become discovered. "Well," he says, a few notches louder to indicate that he's switching back to a non-secret conversation, "Beau, those neon pants are very... bad. Well done."</p><p>"Thank you!" Beau beams, bringing one bright yellow leg up to an impossibly vertical angle. Nott, next to her, flinches sympathetically. "They were in the bargain bin at the thrift store. No idea why."</p><p>"You're going to pull your... hamstrings," Nott says, uncertainly. "Your thigh strings. You're gonna pull something."</p><p>The bathroom door opens, and a very stone-faced Fjord comes out, walks down the hall, across the living area, and sits back down in his arm chair. The print on the pajamas takes Caleb a second - they're <em>hamsters</em>, he realizes, most of whom are curled up in perfect spheres with little noses tucked in and feet sticking out. The shirt is buttoned, but it's a little tight at the arms and across the chest.</p><p>"Fjord," Nott says, as Fjord picks his phone back up off the coffee table and pretends nothing is amiss.</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"You've. Never looked better."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>Jester isn't far behind, bouncing out of the office. Her hair is in curlers, and she's wearing a bright white onesie with a rainbow zip up the front and multicolored cuffs.</p><p>"Pull the hood up!" Beau demands.</p><p>"It doesn't really fit well around the curlers and the horns," Jester explains.</p><p>"Once," Beau bargains.</p><p>Jester shrugs and gives it a try, and with some help from Nott she manages to get the hood - soft unicorn horn, floppy ears, and all - up to her hairline without tugging the curlers out. Molly and Beau applaud, so Caleb joins them.</p><p>"Very nice," Fjord says, looking up from his phone. Caleb notices that his sleeves only make it about three fourths the way to his wrists. <em>How sweet.</em></p><p>"You too!" Jester smiles and sticks her bare foot across the gap between their chairs, patting his. "You look very nice in pastels."</p><p>Nott nods. "Very masculine, in its own way."</p><p>"Caleb, you got any more'a those quilts anywhere?" Fjord asks, definitely apropos of nothing.</p><p>"We have many," Caleb says, and leaves the safety of the quilt to go to the trunk in the bedroom and pull several out. Fjord lays his mostly across his lap and front in attempt to cover as much print as possible. Beau wears hers as a shawl, and Jester arranges hers across her lap. Caleb has saved the smallest one for Nott, who makes an appreciative sound and lays it down on the floor so she can wrap herself up like a burrito before sitting back up. Jester laughs.</p><p>"Come back inside," Molly says, opening one 'flap' of the quilt for him to get back into. "You'll freeze out there."</p><p>Caleb burrows back in and Molly brushes his nose against Caleb's cheek in a brief non-kiss. "Aww," Jester says, pulled away from whatever she and Beau were saying.</p><p>"I'm trying to keep it to a minimum," Molly says. "But it's hard. He's cute."</p><p>"I'll take your word for it," Beau deadpans, causing several giggles.</p><p>"I take his word for it too." Caleb shrugs under the quilt.</p><p>**</p><p>When they finally go to bed, Molly settles more or less on top of Caleb. Caleb knows it's because they've been keeping a little bit of distance in front of their single friends all evening, but he still can't help but comment.</p><p>"<em>Ist dir kalt?</em>" he asks. "I could get another quilt."</p><p>"Mrrrow," Frumpkin says somewhere at the foot of the bed, and Caleb feels some light movement. Molly's chest starts to press against Caleb's with laughter.</p><p>"What's he doing?"</p><p>"He can't-" Molly snickers, clearly trying to hold still. "He can't get to your chest, so he's climbing onto my back."</p><p>Caleb tries to imagine this. "So, I will be a pancake, in time for brunch tomorrow."</p><p>"Are you calling me fat?"</p><p>"Do not even joke." Caleb only has so much mobility right now, so he just nuzzles the top of Molly's horn, which makes a soft brushing sound.</p><p>"Mm." Molly shifts a little, relaxing further into Caleb and the bed. Caleb can hear the telltale sounds of Frumpkin kneading his paws into Molly's back.</p><p>"Are you really going to fall asleep like this?"</p><p>Molly yawns. "Do you mind?"</p><p>"Nein."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shoutout to everyone who's commented or said hi on the discord; you guys keep the inertia going!</p><p>Additional special shoutout to my pom pom squad, Cait and Sorrel. &lt;3 Without you we would not have this third piece in the series at all.</p><p><b>edit</b>:</p><p>The incredible <a href="https://caitercates.tumblr.com/">Cait</a> has done some INCREDIBLE FANART...</p><p>  </p><p>  </p><p>  </p><p>Isn't she amazing??</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Getting to brunch the next day isn't a <em>chore</em>, but it is certainly... an undertaking.</p><p>"I usually make food," Molly says, packing the last box of plasticware into the reusable bag, "but, you know, I was pretty sure if I got up at like eight to start making something in the kitchen, you four would rightfully kill me."</p><p>"You were right," Beau assures him. "Can I carry something?"</p><p>"Yes, c'mere, use your big dumb muscles." He passes a bag off. "Nott, is Jester ready yet?"</p><p>"She's still doing a hair thing," Nott reports.</p><p>Beau scoffs. "Why do you need to do a hair thing to go eat?"</p><p>"Because there'll be college guys there," Nott guesses, shrugging. Caleb notices the way Fjord's eyes widen just ever so slightly.</p><p>When Beau makes a dismissive sound, Caleb can't help himself: "The women's rugby team comes over to eat a lot, too," he says mildly. "I guess they are always hungry, you know, from all the sport."</p><p>"Hmm," Molly says, with an equal amount of innocence. "Yes, I've met several of them, they're very cool. Although sometimes they're a little sweaty, I guess? Because they work out in the mornings before they come to-"</p><p>"This shirt doesn't fit, I'm gonna change shirts." Beau disappears into the office.</p><p>Fjord sighs. "Why'd you have to go and do that?"</p><p>Caleb shrugs. "It still will not take Beau longer to change shirts than it will for Jester to do hair things."</p><p>"Well, that's probably fair." Fjord seems to zone out a moment, staring at a blank space on the wall. "D'you... think any of those rugby players are, uh... into guys?"</p><p>Caleb looks to Molly, whose gaydar has always been far superior. Molly is sucking in air through his teeth. "You <em>might</em> find a bisexual in there," he says uncertainly. "Maybe. It's, uh, it's a pretty sapphic vibe."</p><p>"Sapphic, sporty, kind of Beau's whole thing." Nott makes a 'not bad' face.</p><p>**</p><p>Caleb leads the group to his old dormitory building, breathing in deeply at the smell of warm syrup. As Caleb pulls out his student ID to swipe them in, the group is met with a lot of white noise - someone is clearly playing lo-fi music on a sub par wireless speaker, and there are a lot of voices talking and laughing over it.</p><p>"I hope we are all ready for some authentic university culture," Caleb says, giving one last look before throwing the door open. A human with a shaved head carrying two full trash bags immediately shuffles past him and almost into Fjord, making an apologetic face.</p><p>"Sorry," the human says. "Plates."</p><p>Molly holds up one of the reusable bags in dramatic triumph. "More plates!"</p><p>"More plates!" The human echoes enthusiastically, stumbling down the sidewalk toward the alley bin.</p><p>Inside, several of the study tables have been joined up with several folding tables to make a series of long, parallel lines. A colorful mix of people are in line at the first one, where the food is laid out - the other tables are full of people sitting elbow to elbow and nearly inhaling what's on their plates. As Molly squeezes past him to start arranging their offerings, Caleb realizes that there's no way they'll all be able to sit together - he sees nearly every regular and semi-regular here at once, plus the several women in workout gear, plus several faces Caleb can't pin down.</p><p>"Every man for himself?" Beau asks, clearly ready to peel off. She's already got her eye on what is apparently the optimal table.</p><p>"Apparently," Caleb says with an apologetic lilt. "Um, sorry, usually getting here at this hour lets us-"</p><p>"Caleb!" A warm familiar voice is behind him. Caleb turns and smiles at Caduceus, who is wearing a white-and-yellow check apron and is holding a tray of American biscuits that smell frankly incredible. He hands it off to Caleb. "I'm glad you were able to show up. Would you mind putting these down where they'll fit?"</p><p>Nott has apparated to his elbow. "Those smell fucking incredible," she says, eyes just barely big enough to stare level at the steam rising off them.</p><p>"Well, I can't actually take credit for <em>those</em>, they were some kind of bicarbonate experi- oh! You must all be Caleb's friends from his hometown!"</p><p>"Hiiiii," Jester says with a wave. On the apples of her cheeks, Caleb sees a shine and sparkle that might be from something called a highlighter. Or maybe something else. He has a hard time keeping up with makeup terms. It's eye-catching, though. "You must be Caduceus! I love your hair!"</p><p>"Thanks, yours is great too." Caduceus smiles and turns to Fjord. "Ah, I finally get to meet you in the flesh!"</p><p>Fjord puts his hand out for what turns out to be exactly the performative masculine handshake that Caleb expected. (Presumably in case Nott's paying attention for later ammunition.) "Great to meet you. Looks like you throw a damn good party."</p><p>"I just planted the seed, really." Caduceus shrugs. "We've got a great community here, and today I - oh." He looks over his shoulder at someone or something that's bumped into him. "I'm sorry about that. I'll have to catch up with you in a second, I'm gonna go see what I can do to help in the back."</p><p>"Sure," Fjord says, and they watch as the firbolg picks his way back toward the side door.</p><p>Caleb senses some movement just outside his field of vision - he looks down and gently elbows Nott's hand away from one of the biscuits at the edge. "Shoo. Let me put it down on the table first."</p><p>"The <em>smell!</em>" Nott says unapologetically. "Every man for himself! Beau said! You agreed!"</p><p>Caleb rolls his eyes as he scoots and crab walks his way toward an empty-ish spot near the forks. A half elf sees him and begins to move some of the other platters closer together to make room. "Well, you better get into this line I just cut into, so you can get one fairly like everyone else."</p><p>"You cut in to <em>add</em> food," a half orc behind him says genially. "You're good."</p><p>"I am still going to get out, now, and get behind-" Caleb nearly collides with an absolutely panicked looking blur at his hip. This time, it isn't Nott, but Yeza. "What is wrong?"</p><p>"<em>The gravy</em>," Yeza says, in the same tone one might refer to an unstable nuclear device. He's holding a mixing bowl with a wooden ladle in it, and Caleb connects the dots.</p><p>"That is supposed to go with, the," Caleb gently takes the bowl out of Yeza's hands and sets it after the biscuits. "I added it. They are together."</p><p>Yeza lets out a deep breath and puts his hands on his knees, looking up to give Caleb a grateful nod. "I finished plating everything and then someone handed the plate off to Caduceus... and I was about to put in the next tray when I noticed that the <em>bowl</em> was still there..."</p><p>He's saying this like it could have led to someone's grievous injury or possibly death, but honestly, one of the reasons Caleb has really grown to appreciate Yeza is that it gives him some context to what he can be like to other people. "Well, they are reunited. All is well. Friends, this is Yeza Brenatto, he is another scholarship nerd like me." Caleb gestures to him and smiles to the group. "Yeza, these are my friends from back home, this is Jester, Fjord, Beau is, um, over there with... that dwarf... and Nott is..."</p><p>"Already in line," Jester finishes wryly, jerking her chin over her shoulder. Yeza nods, and has been looking and smiling at each of them in turn, but he somehow gets stuck on Nott. Caleb frowns, looking over his shoulder to see what's wrong - Nott is waiting with visible impatience behind two humans and a half-orc, with her arms crossed and eyes a little narrowed. She clearly doesn't want to wait, but Caleb checks Yeza's shocked expression again, trying to determine what's so -</p><p>-oh.</p><p>"You're a science major, right?" Jester is saying, not yet having noticed how distracted the halfling is. "Caleb has mentioned you before, he said that sometimes he helps you use computers to model stuff with atoms so you can show how they break down, or something, I didn't really get it, but it sounded cool."</p><p>Yeza's mouth opens to respond, but there's a brief delay. "Acid," he says faintly. "The affects of different acids and alkaline... um..."</p><p>"Oh, so kind of like baking!" Jester's delighted. "Do you study like, food science, or is that just a fun way to like, test your theories and the stuff you're learning without, like, blowing up a <em>lab</em> by accident, or <em>burning a big circle </em>through a floor..."</p><p>The line is moving, and Caleb has the strange luck of getting to watch Yeza begin to panic as he realizes Nott is moving close enough to possibly notice or even overhear him. "Um," he says, a little louder as he pushes his glasses up his nose. "You know, practical applications are such a vital part of any edu- I think- you know, I still need to put that next tray in the oven. Please excuse me."</p><p>Caleb starts steering Jester and Fjord to the back of the food line as Jester gives him an amused look.</p><p>"He's really the nervous type, huh?" She quirks her lips, giving it some thought. "Sweet, though."</p><p>"You really missed all that, didn't you, Jes?" Fjord gives her a fond, if exasperated, look.</p><p>"No," Jester counters, "he was nervous because the gravy wasn't-"</p><p>Fjord leans in and begins talking quietly in her ear for a few moments. When he stands straight again, Jester blinks and peers around the line to the back of Nott's head, then to Caleb. "Do you think?" she whispers excitedly.</p><p>"Even I caught it," Caleb murmurs.</p><p>"Do you think she'll knock one of his teeth out like in senior year?" Jester makes a nervous face. "He seems nice, I want him to keep all his teeth."</p><p>Caleb scoffs. "That guy was different, he was - he was <em>very forward</em>," he says, lifting his eyebrows for emphasis. "Like, very... too much... forward."</p><p>"Ohh," Jester says, and nods. "Okay, so she probably won't hit Yeza, then."</p><p>"She won't," Caleb says, but it is already too late, and the uncertainty has already found a little purchase in his brain. "I mean, probably not. Almost definitely."</p><p>"Just because she hasn't gotten many, uh, suitors, that doesn't mean she's just gonna freak out and hit somebody." Fjord rubs the back of his neck. "She can be a little bit on edge, but she's not <em>feral</em>."</p><p>"<em>PUT THE LADLE BACK!</em>" Nott is snapping ahead in the line. "<em>Were you raised in a barn!?</em>"</p><p>There's a long pause between the three. "Well," Jester says finally, "if anything, that's like, the <em>opposite</em> of feral, that's like, <em>over-civilized</em>, because, etiquette rules, and..."</p><p>"Maybe warn Yeza," Fjord mutters tonelessly.</p><p>"Hey, also, where's your boyfriend?" Jester looks around. "Did he get in before us?"</p><p>"Yeah, after he set his stuff down..." Fjord checks around, and then points - there, lavender skin and a lemon dress, with empty bags on either side of him saving some room. "Fuck, I don't think we can fit in that little spot he's got."</p><p>"Sorry," Caleb apologizes. "If you save too many seats here, it can get, um, tense."</p><p>"You'll get rugby-tackled." Jester snickers and lowers her voice. "Lookit over in the corner!"</p><p>Several of the women in exercise gear are getting up and clearing plates, but a dwarf with short brown hair is hanging back, leaning against the table and talking to Beau.</p><p>"Lookit those arms," Jester says approvingly.</p><p>Caleb decides to stir a little. "Hm. Are you going to fight Beau for her?" The line moves again and he finally gets to start getting a plate and utensils together, so he only hears Jester's amused snort. "What? This is college. It is a place for exploration."</p><p>"I think I already know the kind of person I want to explore," Jester says, and Caleb can <em>sense </em>the eyebrow wiggle without having to look up from the bacon tongs.</p><p>"Well, if you want a sort of, preppy, trust fund econ major kind of guy, congratulations! We have many. But also, I do not know any of them." Caleb shoots her a joking apologetic look, laughing at her wrinkled nose.</p><p>"Noooo," Jester says, and while there's room for more there, she interestingly doesn't choose to elaborate. Caleb shrugs and begins spooning eggs onto his plate in silence until Caduceus floats back over.</p><p>"Fjord," he says, "if you don't have other plans for the meal, I've got a little table by the bulletin board. I'd be very happy to talk with you more, and-"</p><p>"Yeah," Fjord says, nodding vigorously. "Yeah, that sounds great."</p><p>Caduceus beams. "Great! Caleb, sorry to steal your friend away."</p><p>"Just do not try to teach him to cook anything," Caleb warns. "He burns water." As he waits for the person in front of him to decide on bagel options, he pulls out his phone.</p><p>
  <strong>Me: Are you going on break soon?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): Yes, I think so.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): Should I?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): Please help.</strong>
</p><p>Caleb's eyebrows raise at how quickly the messages come in one after the other.</p><p>
  <strong>Me: Come sit with us. Bring some extra of the foods you made.</strong>
</p><p>Caleb spoons some of the collard greens onto his plate as he hears his phone chirp several more times. He can't be judgmental in the least - he remembers this brand of panic. When he's gotten to the Clay Signature Pancakes and has gotten a good helping of every topping, he checks it again.</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): Absolutely! I will.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): What does she like?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): Is she seeing anyone?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): That's a stupid question. If she was you would have said something already.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): What kind of person does she date?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: She likes good food, liked AP Chem, loves kitsch. She hates Wes Anderson. Relax.</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): Is that a politician?</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Line," Jester says gently behind him, and Caleb jumps and hustles forward. A very bad faux pas in this building.</p><p>"Sorry," Caleb says to the people behind him.</p><p>"Hi, Caleb," one of his old lab partners says.</p><p>"Just don't do it again," an unknown elf adds.</p><p>"They're serious about their food here, but-" Fjord has already used a pancake like a lettuce wrap to pick up some of the other items on his plate, stuffing it into his mouth as he waits. "Fuck. Can't blame 'em."</p><p>"A lot of the students only eat cafeteria food when this is not going on, so it becomes... very serious." Caleb scoots past the gluten free and vegan substitute options and picks up the tongs to get some fruit to put on his pancakes.</p><p>"Are we in trouble for just showin' up and not bringing anything?" Fjord looks around. "Like, should we make it clear we're with you so we don't get kicked out?"</p><p>Caleb thinks about it. "You know, I do not think there is any real policy. By someone's second visit, Caduceus just... introduces himself to them, and eventually he asks if there's anything they like to make, or that they would like to learn to make..."</p><p>"L'v i'," Jester says, cheeks full of cherries.</p><p>"Jester, those go on <em>top</em> of things."</p><p>Jester rolls her eyes at Fjord and they make their way to the table.</p><p>Molly's ears tip up when he sees Caleb approaching, which (still) makes Caleb's stomach flip a little. "I've got a Nott and a bonus Bryce," Molly says, gesturing to the half-elf next to him.</p><p>Caleb sits across from Molly, but only so he can sit next to Nott, who is clearly in her own sort of food nirvana that prevents her from noticing. "Nott," Caleb says gently.</p><p>"Mm."</p><p>More acknowledgment than he expected. "You know how, sometimes, in the morning, you are a little cranky. Before you eat."</p><p>Nott's chewing slows, and she eventually slides her gaze over to him with a slight amount of trepidation. "Mm?"</p><p>"You're fine, you did not cause any problems, just." He pats her shoulder. "Maybe take a few breaths before you get your second plate."</p><p>Nott mulls over this for a few moments, and then she nods. "Mmmhmm," she says around a mouthful of grits.</p><p>"Hi, is there any room?" Yeza is carrying a cookie sheet in order to balance both a mixed breakfast plate and a plate that has... an <em>ornately</em> constructed tower of biscuits and scones. Caleb stares at the perfect river of gravy trickled over the biscuit side and the jam moat on the scone side.</p><p>"Ohh, that's so pretty!" Jester entreats. "Did you make the scones too? I grabbed one but if I knew they were yours I would have gotten <em>more</em>."</p><p>"My side has a booster block," Nott offers, already leaning competitively forward with saucer-like eyes to take in the food tower.</p><p>"Oh! If you don't - if you don't mind sharing, that would be, yes, thank you." Yeza's flustered as he scoots behind Caleb and Nott, setting his platter on the table before coming up to join her on the dwarf-sized box that can accommodate them both. Caleb makes himself look away and locks eyes with Molly, who had also been watching this: <em>We are going to play it cool</em>, Caleb's expression transmits.</p><p>Molly's red eyes blink slowly. He then readjusts one of the straps of his dress, tosses his hair - <em>I am more than ready to perform</em> - and leans across Bryce a little. "Yeza, I think you've outdone yourself. What's in the scones?"</p><p>Yeza clears his throat several times. "It's, uh, it's half, half are blueberry, the other half are a chocolate coconut experiment that I-"</p><p>"<em>Coconut?</em>" Nott echoes, distastefully.</p><p>Behind his expression, Yeza clearly crumples a little. "It's just a-"</p><p>"I'm still gonna try one." Nott grabs one with dark blue blotches and one with dark brown blotches, ripping both in half and adding them to her bizarrely specific plate layout before picking a chocolate coconut half, dragging it through some boysenberry sauce on one of her pancakes, and trying a bite. The table watches with mixed reactions as she chews, almost immediately lifts her eyebrows, and gives two enthusiastic thumbs up.</p><p>"Oh, I'm glad." Yeza laughs a little breathlessly and gestures for people to help themselves as Bryce reaches a cautious hand out to move the plate away from Nott's reach radius. "I, um, I've made the blueberry ones several times, but I wanted to take my sweet recipe and try it with drier ingredients, to make sure that it would still hold up-" He stops as Jester leans across to hold a napkin out to Nott.</p><p>"Around your mouth," Jester says, stifling laughter.</p><p>Nott is clearly confused as to why this matters in the middle of a meal. Caleb pinches his leg to keep from laughing. "Whatever," Nott says dismissively, but takes it and dabs around her mouth. "Thanks. And," in a moment Caleb is sure comes directly from his little pep talk with her earlier about her manners, "Thank you, um, these are really good. Sorry, what's your name again?"</p><p>"Y-Yeza, Yeza Brenatto." Yeza valiantly tries to turn this into a moment of opportunity, turning a little to offer his hand to shake. Even just from the back of her head, Caleb can see Nott going through the thoughts of how this is overly formal, but she was just reminded to please be nicer. She finally shakes.</p><p>"Nott Veth."</p><p>"Veth! That's beautiful."</p><p>"It's... fine, I guess." Nott's slightly flat response causes Yeza to retreat to his plate of food, digging in to some sausages.</p><p>Jester jumps in with the assist. "Yeza, how does all the acids and bases stuff relate to, um, pastries?"</p><p>Yeza has taken a bite too quickly, and looks up with full cheeks and a little panic.</p><p>"Well, you introduce the right acids to cause a reaction to release carbon dioxide when it's in the oven," Nott says for him, shrugging. "Like, you get the right amounts of baking soda and baking powder, yadda yadda, it releases air, that makes the food fluffy." She checks Yeza's expression. "Right? I mean, that's kind of reductive, but."</p><p>Yeza is confirming with several fast nods. Caleb's phone beeps and he checks it.</p><p>Astrid has sent him some possible dates of cheap flights from France to LA. He pulls up his schedule and begins checking against it, until he gets a familiar nudge against his sneaker. He looks up and Molly is giving him a concerned look.</p><p>"Your face," Molly mouths, pushing his brows together to imitate him. "Everything good?"</p><p>Caleb nods. Beside him, Nott is asking Yeza what the labs are like on campus. He doesn't want to interrupt that. "Europe stuff," he mouths back.</p><p>"Europe stuff?" Bryce looks between them.</p><p>Jester sighs, holding up her fingers and ticking off them: "Stuff back home is better," tick, "because someone bad got arrested," tick, "and now Caleb can talk to his friends back home," tick, "and he can be in pictures," tick, "but he's not ready to talk about it all yet so we will wait for him to be ready to explain everything."</p><p>Caleb rubs his nose and looks down. As self-conscious as this discussion makes him, it's so much better than being hounded about it. And Jester has such a great matter-of-fact way of discussing these things, as if the fact that Caleb asked for an indefinite rain check on explaining something this big was <em>obviously</em> a choice he could make, and <em>of course</em> they'd respect it.</p><p>"In his defense," Molly is saying, "he was gonna dump the whole thing on you guys during this trip, and then the family stuff happened, and like, he can't do two big reveals at once, or he'd explode."</p><p>Bryce blinks slowly. "I'll wait, then," they say finally, just as Beau scoots past them and sits down to join. "Hey. You must be Beau?"</p><p>"Yeah," Beau says, with the self-satisfaction of someone who was just asked if they had won an award.</p><p>Jester snickers. "You got a phone number."</p><p>Beau shimmies her shoulders. "What're we up to over here?" She starts moving her fork around what is clearly a second or third plate. "Sorry, you're Bryce, right?"</p><p>Bryce laughs. "Yeah. But don't let introductions get in the way of your good mood."</p><p>"She got a name?" Molly asks, eyes gleaming as he leans in. "Maybe I know her."</p><p>"Keg." Beau picks up Molly's glass of orange juice and helps herself to a sip. "She's a freshman. And a flanker."</p><p>"Is that a gay thing?" Jester tilts her head.</p><p>"It's a rugby position," Bryce says, stifling laughter.</p><p>"So, yes."</p><p>Caleb is delighted to notice that Yeza and Nott are still talking to one another, not engaging in the larger conversation. He tries to be nosy and pick up some key phrases, but Beau is asking Bryce something, and then Jester is trying to show Caleb something on her phone. It's a picture she must have taken just now, slightly blurry, of Caduceus at a small table gesturing something while he talks to a small group. Fjord, whose back is mostly to camera, is in the group, leaning in and listening. Caleb laughs and looks up to smile at Jester, but she's frowning.</p><p><em>What?</em> he mouths.</p><p>She pouts a little, texting on her phone until Caleb's phone beeps.</p><p>
  <strong>Jester (lollipop emoji) (lipstick emoji): IS EVERYONE GETTING PAIRED OFF BUT ME???</strong>
</p><p>Caleb reads it in disbelief and begins typing a response.</p><p>
  <strong>Jester (lollipop emoji) (lipstick emoji): BEAU/RUGBY GIRL. NOTT/THIS SWEET TINY NERD</strong>
</p><p>
  <b>Me: Stop being silly. Fjord just wants a friend who is not crazy like us. That is understandable.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Jester (lollipop emoji) (lipstick emoji): The elf next to him is cute though</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Me: Just tell him!!!</b>
</p><p>Jester puts her phone down and grabs a scone out of the middle of the tower, stuffing it morosely into her mouth. Yeza has to scramble to his feet and reach out across the table to keep the tower from falling to the side. Caleb watches this, eyes narrowed in determination, and pointedly continues to type on his phone.</p><p>
  <strong>Me: Just go over and meet Caduceus and sit with them all.</strong>
</p><p>It takes a few moments. "I'm gonna go make sure Fjord isn't getting inducted into, like, a firbolg cult." Finally.</p><p>"Valid," Beau says, only barely pulled away from whatever she's quietly talking about with Bryce. Jester gets up, taking her plate and moving over to the cluster of people at the tiny table.</p><p>"I'm actually gonna get another plate, too..." Nott scoots off the box and gets her plate. "Caleb?"</p><p>"Nothing for me, thank you." Caleb catches Yeza's look of mild confusion as Nott walks away. He waits until she's definitely out of earshot: "Just a friendly thing. I used to be bad about eating enough."</p><p>"He's been a member of the clean plate club for several years, but old habits die hard." Molly reaches forward and, to Caleb's disdain, ruffles his hair. </p><p>"<em>Liebste</em>."</p><p>Molly lovingly ignores his protest and scrunched nose, using his tail to brush Caleb's ankle in a gesture that shouldn't still get him flustered.</p><p>Beau takes the moment of silence to lean across the table toward Yeza, with an intensity familiar to Caleb but clearly unfamiliar to the halfling, who leans back an almost equal amount: "So, you like our friend."</p><p>Yeza shoots a panicked look over to the brunch line, then to Caleb, for help.</p><p>"Beau," Caleb says, because Yeza's silent plea for salvation from this vibe is extremely fair.</p><p>"I'm just <em>checking</em>," Beau says, shrugging as if she has any ounce of chill in her. "Like, Yeza, you're a good dude?"</p><p>He seems grateful for the easy question. "I try to be," he says with a painful amount of earnestness.</p><p>"Where you from?"</p><p>"The midwest," Yeza admits it a little sheepishly. "Um, not much going on there. Lots of fields. Farms. Lots of farms."</p><p>"You always wear a condom?"</p><p>There is a horrible stillness.</p><p>"Fuckin' <em>tater tots</em>," Nott is saying, and Caleb sees the top of her head in his peripheral vision as she shoves her plate back onto the table and climbs back up onto the box to get settled in. She is completely focused on her plate and does not notice Yeza's tomato red face, or how the entirety of Bryce's eyes are visible from how wide they are, or Molly's almost completely horizontal ears as he stares at how red Yeza is. Nott just cracks her knuckles, picks up Caleb's fork from his plate, and spears two tater tots to put onto his plate. "I know you said you didn't want anything," she acknowledges, "but, tots."</p><p>"But, tots," Caleb agrees, feeling very valiant that he can fall back on his monotone in this moment of extreme difficulty. Outside of Nott's line of focus, Molly is violently swatting Beau under the table with his tail, fangs slightly bared as he mouths something at her with extreme vitriol. She flinches and mouths something back in her defense. Caleb picks up his tater totted fork and waves it around with a little too much vigor, like he's trying to cast some kind of spell to keep Nott's focus from the fighting and from the mortified Yeza. "Tater tots are, they are one of my weaknesses, you are a good friend who. Remembers this. We do not really eat them back home, but I found them here. I think you actually introduced me to them, Nott, back in high school."</p><p>Nott seems to be cottoning on that there is something wrong with Caleb, but at least it's only a Caleb issue, which keeps her looking at Caleb, which means her back is to Yeza. God. Yeza's a good guy; Caleb has known this for months now. Even a mediocre person doesn't deserve Beau's interrogations. Caleb is trying to push all these truths to the back of his mind so he can focus on buying time.</p><p>"You okay?" Nott seems to be checking Caleb for a panic attack, which would normally be a logical thing to check for in a crowded room with a malfunctioning sort of ramble going on.</p><p>"Yes, yes, I just..." Caleb pushes the hair out of his face and sees Beau is <em>still silently trying to argue her point with Molly</em>. Caleb stretches his foot out underneath the table to stomp on Beau's foot. Bryce straightens several inches and visibly swallows and Caleb knows he missed. Shit. "You know, I guess after the move here and seeing you all again! I am so... nostalgic? Is the word? For remembering how much you all helped me when, when I first moved to America, and you, Nott, were the first one to be my friend and, and help me learn English, and," a deep breath. "Sorry, I guess I am a little emotional. I just appreciate you. And so I am a little mushy." He shoves his fork into his mouth before he can lose what little ground he's gained. "Unlike," he says, chewing, "these <em>tater tots</em>, which are very crispy."</p><p>Nott blinks at Caleb several times, then pops a tater tot into her mouth and seems to decide to drop the issue.</p><p>"It's been so nice eating with you all." Yeza's smile is stapled on and there are lines around his eyes as if it is physically paining him to act normal right now. "I have to, um, help clean the kitchen, and then go home, I'm so sorry to - to leave early,"</p><p>"Oh," Nott says, sounding a little disappointed (and maybe surprised at being disappointed).</p><p>"Um, Caleb, Bryce, Molly, great to see you as always," Yeza gives a little nod to them. "B-Beau, Nott, it was so nice to meet you both, please say goodbye to Jester and Fjord for me, I, um, maybe I'll see..."</p><p>"Yeah, we're here for a few - days..." Nott watches Yeza book it back to the kitchens, clearly confused, and Caleb spends this opportunity to look over Nott's head at Beau, thunderous, daring her to mess this up further. She looks sufficiently cowed.</p><p>"Tater tots," Beau says mechanically.</p><p>"Yeah," Bryce agrees faintly. "Good shit."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Continued thanks to my betas and to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They walk home together, and Molly opens the windows in the living room so they can enjoy the breeze while lazing around with their full stomachs. There is little conversation at first, all energy dedicated to digestion. Caleb pulls out his phone.</p><p>
  <strong>Me: VERY SORRY</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Bryce (keyboard emoji) (padlock emoji): It was a mistake</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: YES. Yes</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Bryce (keyboard emoji) (padlock emoji): I get it. but if my toe is broken you are paying for the doc bills</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: Yes yes yes</strong>
</p><p>Nott clears her throat. "Before he took off, Yeza was talking about an... SRA event? That he thought I'd like?" She shoots a confused look to Caleb. "I didn't ask him what that stood for, is it a science thing?"</p><p>"Ah." Caleb checks his mental rolodex. "Small Races Alliance. Most colleges have them. I think ours is supposed to be pretty active." He wishes he knew something about the event itself.</p><p>"Oh! Oh." Nott works her lower lip a little, clearly thinking it over. "Uh. Do you think it's like, a <em>meeting</em>, about campus issues or something, or-"</p><p>"It's probably like a party," Molly interjects, shrugging. "Food and music. A mixer."</p><p>"Like the GSA in high school," Nott hazards, and Molly nods.</p><p>"I do not think he would invite you to a council meeting or something," Caleb says. "It is probably a social gathering."</p><p>"That sounds nice," Jester says brightly. Beau nods the slightest amount but seems wary to do anything more, lest her foot end up in her mouth again.</p><p>"Do you think he'd mind if I stole his number off you? I think an SRA thing might be kinda cool."</p><p>Caleb puts all his energy into the nonchalance that he absolutely owes Yeza after this morning's debacle. "I don't think he'd mind." He shrugs just one single shoulder and fiddles with his phone, sending the number over. "He does not check his phone often," a lie, "so if he takes a while to respond, it is not personal." It will be, but not in a negative way.</p><p>"Cool. Thanks." Nott taps on her phone, with a funny sort of thoughtfulness to her expression that Caleb doesn't think he's seen before. He thinks it's very sort of... fragile, and he wants to move the conversation along before another accident can happen.</p><p>"Do we still want to do a beach thing?" Caleb asks the room. "I know we were talking about weather in the group chat, a, a few days ago, but I just checked, and it looks like it will be nice."</p><p>"It's always nice here," Molly says, with a faint air of suspicion. "Never rains. Very suspicious."</p><p>"Aren't you <em>from</em><em> LA,</em> Molly?" Fjord peers at him.</p><p>"They <em>found</em> me in LA," Molly corrects, looking out the window as if trying to figure out what the balmy sunniness could be hiding. "I don't know where I'm from-from, but I'm pretty sure it's somewhere that has rain."</p><p>"Speaking of unfounded paranoia." Fjord leans over Beau's shoulder, checking what she's scrolling through. "Caleb, didn't you say Bryce talks about security stuff and goes on weird rants?"</p><p>"They do sometimes, yes," Caleb gets up and tries to see what's on Beau's screen, but she's hugging it to her chest now.</p><p>"I just learned some shit about strike plates, and I wanna-" She swats at Fjord. "Doors can apparently be <em>super vulnerable</em> and I wanna-"</p><p>"Bryce got her," Molly says to Caleb. Caleb nods immediately, lifting his hands in a 'what can we do' gesture.</p><p>"Nobody's gonna rob- actually." Fjord pauses to think about it. "Someone <em>might</em> rob your rich-ass parents. But if they did I think you'd be happy about it."</p><p>"But one day I'll have my own place and I don't want someone to - listen, jamb pins for your doors are super cheap and if I order them now while I'm thinking about it? Then I'll have them when I need them."</p><p>"You're thinking about this backwards," Jester says admonishingly. "You want to do all that in<em>vest</em>igating <em>jour</em>naling thing, and you should be figuring out how to like, <em>be the person</em>-"</p><p>Nott straightens up, excited already. "-<em>yeah</em>-"</p><p>"-<em>breaking in</em>, to like, corrupt company buildings, to go in with a flashlight and, you know, steal incriminating documents!" Jester grins. "Also, get me some pins, I guess."</p><p>"I will." Beau begins tapping her phone again. "Bryce said they're super easy to install... Nott? You want jamb pins? Fjord? Jamb pins?"</p><p>Fjord looks exhaustedly at Caleb. "Beach?" he tries.</p><p>"Beach," Molly agrees.</p><p>"Okay." Caleb nods. "There is a good one about forty-"</p><p>"Wait," Jester interrupts. "Sorry. Important. Are there palm trees?"</p><p>Caleb laughs. "Yes," he replies. "It is about forty-five minutes south of here, um, the restaurants are - it might be better to pack some baskets-"</p><p>"I can pay," Jester offers.</p><p>"The good restaurants are far away," Molly explains. "We can sort of have good food and parking, or we can have good beach."</p><p>"BEACH," Jester votes loudly, almost simultaneously with Nott, who says, "BEACH. BEACH BEACH BEACH."</p><p>"Also beach," Fjord says, raising a hand. "Baskets and beach."</p><p>"Baskets," Molly echoes, rolling gracefully off of the sofa to his feet and wandering toward the closet with the loosely curled tail of contentment. "Cute little blankets to go in the baskets."</p><p>"Are they check?" Jester says, leaning forward as much as possible to try and see. "Red and white?"</p><p>"Green and white," Molly calls apologetically, on tip toe as he sorts through the higher shelves. "The thrift store has what the thrift store has."</p><p>"Still good," Jester assures him. Caleb can practically see the Instagram post already.</p><p>"I've ordered seven sets of door jambs," Beau reports, putting her phone away.</p><p>"Beeeach," Nott enunciates at her very slowly.</p><p>"Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Beach." Beau looks up at Caleb. "How're we getting there?"</p><p>"We have a very weird van... hookup." Caleb glances at Molly. "That is right, right? I am not saying we will have sex with the van?"</p><p>"No, you've got it, we've got a hookup." Molly's tail curls up in a little pride, making Caleb blush, as he says, "Caleb was an electrician for a day and we got a favor out of it!"</p><p>Fjord rubs his chin. "That's cool, but don't you need to be... certified?"</p><p>"I did not make changes... I just, I explained why it was not working, the second room... Molly, help."</p><p>Molly laughs. "Okay, very fair, this story is long and winding." He takes a breath. "<em>So</em>, teal deer version... my acting troupe was having a fundraiser, and this local rich guy who owns a bunch of clubs is like, one of those 'patron of the arts' types, so he was hosting said fundraiser at some new location where the smaller rooms were still, like, undergoing construction. And the lighting isn't working in one small room, and Caleb like, figured out why, checked their floor plans, told them how to redo it, and then improved the DJ booth."</p><p>"To get out of schmoozing," Caleb explains.</p><p>"Yes," Molly agrees. "So, it ended up with the owner coming over being a <em>total</em> gentleman and saying 'you just found something our inspector missed, and spent two hours giving good advice, sign these forms so I can pay you an independent contracting fee."</p><p>"He did not have to pay me at all; he was very generous." Caleb shrugs. "I thought that was it, but he gave me his card, and asked me if I'd ever worked on commercial CCTV stuff, and so a month or so later I designed something to work across all his locations on a secure network, where the recordings would get backed up more reliably - Nott, stop looking at me like that."</p><p>"You're <em>so smart</em>," Nott says unapologetically.</p><p>"No, it just -" Caleb looks down at his mug. "It is just coordinating a few things I already know well, and then learning some new things about cameras."</p><p>"Nott's right, sorry dude." Beau smirks. "So how does this end in van?"</p><p>Jester laughs. "Did he pay you for the CCTV stuff in van?"</p><p>Molly pretends to think about it. "The van is doing <em>very</em> well against the US dollar right now."</p><p>Caleb rolls his eyes. "He is very <em>friendly</em>, I think he likes having lots of specialists... <em>wie sagt man</em>... 'in his pocket' for when he needs them. So he is always asking how I am, what am I up to. And I say my friends from Exandria are coming soon and I am excited to host them, I want to get them to the beach because Exandria's is very cold and not a place you can go. So he says, you can just have one of the company vans for two days."</p><p>"He said '<em>I'll have someone drop a van off at your place for you</em>,'" Molly corrects gently. "I assume it's some clunky thing that usually hauls speakers and stuff, but, damn, right?"</p><p>"He sounds super nice," Jester agrees.</p><p>"A guy who owns a bunch of nightclubs. And is overly friendly." Fjord scrunches his face a little.</p><p>"Not a creepy kind of friendly. I am, you know, a nineteen year old German, in LA, doing high level technical work. I am a weirdo! I think some people just like weirdos."</p><p>"Can't imagine who would," Molly says as a fond aside.</p><p>"So, he says things like, 'How long have you been in America? What is Exandria like? Do you still have friends there?' Basic questions." Caleb shrugs. "Also, if I am honest, this guy seems... very rich. I do not think one vehicle from his company is a big deal to him."</p><p>"He still sounds a little sus," Fjord singsongs.</p><p>"He's not hitting on Caleb, he appreciates the arts, he pays well." Molly shrugs. "Van!"</p><p>"Van," Jester agrees.</p><p>"Van," Fjord finally relents. "Okay. Good, we got a ride. When're we going?"</p><p>"Tomorrow would be busy, so I am thinking day after tomorrow." Caleb pulls up his phone schedule again. "What kind of picnic do we want? Sandwiches?"</p><p>"Can't talk about food right now." Jester holds her belly and groans loudly. "Too many waffles."</p><p>"Tabling the picnic details," Caleb sighs, and types a note out. "Well, today, we do whatever. We digest waffles. Tomorrow, it should be a good day to shop?"</p><p>Fjord makes a much louder and longer groaning sound.</p><p>"We will not <em>all</em> shop," Caleb amends. "We can split up."</p><p>"The SRA thing is tomorrow night," Nott says, looking at her phone screen.</p><p>"And I've got stuff tomorrow evening," Beau adds smoothly.</p><p>"Keg is 'stuff'," Molly clarifies for the room. Beau swats at him and Molly dodges.</p><p>"Well, maybe I'll go to this meditation thing, then." Fjord looks over to Jester. "You were there for that part, it sounded cool, right?"</p><p>Jester shrugs. "I would probably fall asleep and start snoring, but like, if you like Buddhist ideas, and sitting still for a long time with an empty mind..."</p><p>"<em>Open</em> mind," Fjord corrects. "Empty mind is a kinda mistranslation. You're not supposed to think about <em>nothing</em>, you're supposed to let your thoughts just, y'know, happen, not try and direct them."</p><p>"Fjord will be leading the meditation," Nott says to Jester with mock-seriousness.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Door-Hinge-Security-Screws-3-Pack/dp/B01DG0TZ1A/">Jamb pins, anyone?</a> Dear reader? Jamb pins?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jester and Fjord stay in the living room while the rest move to the office, where it is safe to play with Frumpkin. Frumpkin seems especially happy to see Nott, who receives several pointed headbutts and chestbutts until she lies down and can be kneaded on.</p><p>"Who's the softest bestest cat?" Nott asks quietly. Caleb smiles at her and then notices Beau is on her phone again, looking concerned.</p><p>"Down the security rabbit hole again?"</p><p>Beau makes a caught out expression. "Molly, how did Caleb not go on a total, like, crazy overhaul of the apartment after hearing Bryce's stuff about home security?"</p><p>Molly, to his beloved credit, does not make any sort of judgmental expression when he shrugs. "He already knew most of it," he admits. "Plus the SilverThread suite thing... Bryce is actually writing a paper on opensourcey, homebrewy stuff like that, and how they compare to commercial products."</p><p>"It was a good paper," Caleb says. "Also, if you ever hear Bryce's 'stuff' about online security, <em>that</em> will be what keeps you up at night."</p><p>Molly stage whispers: "If you're like me, it won't, because you won't understand most of it."</p><p>"Mow," Frumpkin interjects, because he's noticed that Beau could pet him from where she's sitting, but isn't.</p><p>
  <strong>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): Can I ask a favor of you?</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: After this morning, yes, of course</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Me: Beau is very sorry. She can do that sometimes without meaning to</strong>
</p><p>
  <b>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): So Nott is coming to the SRA mixer tomorrow and I was hoping you might come and be a buffer. I'm just really nervous</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Me: Why?</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): You've talked about her a lot but you NEVER said she was so stunning!</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): You can take one look at her and know, "Yes, of course that's the woman from Caleb's stories, she's nobody's doormat."</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Me: That is certainly true</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Me: We can come but we can also peel off very soon, when it looks like everything is okay.</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): THANK YOU</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Yeza (male scientist emoji) (croissant emoji): You're sure you're okay with this? She's your best friend</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Me: She is. And I cannot imagine you treating anyone badly, let alone someone you like this much</b>
</p><p>"Caleb. Caleb."</p><p>Caleb looks up and sees that Nott, giggling, has Frumpkin wound around her shoulders like an enormous fur coat. It's unclear where Frumpkin's head is until he lifts it to lick Nott's forehead.</p><p>"Oh! Oh. That is very good."</p><p>**</p><p>Later, Molly and Beau move back to the living room. Caleb and Nott stay with Frumpkin, who has trotted back from the bedroom with one of the many toy mice in the apartment. Nott takes on the responsibility of throwing the mouse across the room for Frumpkin to chase after.</p><p>After a few throws, she looks over at Caleb. "So I think... the SRA thing is a date?"</p><p>Caleb shrugs calmly. "I think maybe."</p><p>"Is it... <em>bad</em> if it's a date?"</p><p>"Not to me." Caleb watches as Frumpkin brings the mouse back in his mouth, blinking at Nott a few times before dropping it in front of her feet. She snatches it by the tail, whipping it back and forth on the ground a few times before arcing it up and toward the shut door. Frumpkin bounds after it, capturing it between his front paws and doing a roll with it so he can begin the bunny-kicks.</p><p>"So, can I ask you a favor? It might be weird."</p><p>"I am good at weird."</p><p>Nott turns to look at him, looking... sad? No, vulnerable. And when Nott has to be vulnerable, she's usually kind of sad about it. "Would it be weird if you came with me? Not - not for the <em>whole thing</em>, but like, if you came to the mixer too, and we walked there together, maybe. And then I wouldn't like, get lost on campus, and-"</p><p>"Of course." Two friendship birds, one stone. Caleb wiggles his fingers at Frumpkin, luring him over and taking the mouse from his mouth.</p><p>"Okay. You're sure?"</p><p>"Yes." Caleb scoots the mouse along the floor for a few moments before tossing it almost directly up in the air. Frumpkin squats and leaps upward, swatting it, knocking it onto the computer keyboard to the left. They watch silently as he evaluates the situation, hops onto the computer chair, and then leans his front paws on the computer desk so he can get the mouse without actually getting onto the desk.</p><p>"Your cat is really well behaved."</p><p>"He gets it from my side."</p><p>**</p><p>The building is only a ten minute walk from the apartment, and as they line up in the hall to get into the ballroom, Caleb sees that, for sure, he and Molly are the only 'medium' sized people around.</p><p>"Now <em>you</em> feel weird," Nott says up to him, clearly pleased.</p><p>"Maybe this is how Caduceus always feels," Molly muses aloud. "Nothing but the tops of heads."</p><p>"Exclusive dandruff knowledge." Caleb looks to the front of the line, spotting another familiar green face. "Ah, Wensforth is letting people in!"</p><p>"Wensforth is his advisor's assistant," Molly explains to Nott. "He's working on a paper about, like, the convergence of facial recognition with deepfake technology."</p><p>Nott narrows her eyes. "Do I need to know any of that to get into this party?"</p><p>"No," Caleb assures her. "I'm not even sure why Molly remembers that."</p><p>"Because he's your advisor's assistant," Molly says smoothly, as they move up. "Wensforth! How's it going?"</p><p>Wensforth looks up from the ID he's checking to give him the vague cordial smile of someone who would, at all times, prefer to be alone. "Caleb Weiss and Molly," he says, handing the ID back to the gnome in front of them. "Identifications, please."</p><p>"Can we skip that and get the X's on our hands?" Caleb asks.</p><p>"Yes, of course." Wensforth produces a marker from his shirt pocket. "Hello, miss, are you with them?"</p><p>"Yeah, they're showing me around campus." She holds her hands to him out palms-down as Molly and Caleb lean down to do the same.</p><p>"She's a prospie," Molly says conspiratorially.</p><p>Wensforth's eyebrows rise as he draws on their hands in turn. "Ah. Any idea on future major?"</p><p>"Probably STEM," Molly says.</p><p>"I'm not a - I mean, not officially, a prospective -" Nott looks at Molly, flustered.</p><p>"Well, welcome, regardless. The three of you may want to peruse some of the literature on the back wall, and of course our petitions - mind, some are student-sign only, so those would be exclusive to Caleb." He nods them on and Caleb hustles them through the door before Nott can ask for clarification.</p><p>The ballroom isn't very decorated, which in Caleb's experience isn't unusual - the few small tables available for use have been arranged for a bar on one side and some light seating - just with small chairs, of course - scattered near the wall. Caleb spots a half-elf in a group across the room, but otherwise, it's dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and... no other goblins that he can spot.</p><p>"The campus admissions ratios still need some improving," Caleb lilts apologetically.</p><p>Nott isn't saying anything, so Caleb looks down to check her face. She's... actually, she's the opposite of upset. She keeps looking from the clustered groups of people to the seating, eyes wide.</p><p>"Nott?"</p><p>"This rules," she whispers. "Are you guys - gonna have to sit on the floor? If we get a table?"</p><p>Molly points to a cluster of boxes and miscellany by the fire exit that Caleb missed. "There's a medium table and chairs stacked up over there, but fuck it, let's get the full experience and sit on the floor."</p><p>Caleb shrugs. "Yes, that is fine. Or Molly and I might just get some non-alcoholic drinks," he holds up one hand with its big X, "and dance the night away on the floor."</p><p>Nott seems to get a twinge of anxiety at the mention of separating.</p><p>"We haven't read anything yet," Molly adds. "Let's go see if we're cancelling some professor for being exclusionist."</p><p>It turns out to be more complicated than that. A lot of the required reading in the American history classes is written or co-written by the same four or five authors, and three of them are on record with some extremely problematic racial comments, and Caleb is reading up on the 'pregnant absences' in their chapters about American immigration when Molly taps him with his tail.</p><p>"Hm?" Caleb grunts.</p><p>"Be sneaky," Molly says, not looking up from a pamphlet, "but the target has landed."</p><p>"Sneaky, I cannot be sneaky." Caleb doesn't look up. "We are two heads taller, minimum, than almost everyone here. If I turn to look, you could spot it from across the ballroom."</p><p>"<em>Tut mir Leid</em>," Molly apologizes sarcastically. "Just trying to keep you informed."</p><p>"Who's informed?" Nott asks, sidling over... with a small stack of papers.</p><p>"We are, reading these things." Caleb frowns at the stack. "What is all that?"</p><p>"Um," Nott jerks her chin back to the gnome with the undercut and the nametag. "She gave me some questionnaires to sign, but they said student only at the top, so I told her I wasn't a student, so then she gave me all this prospie stuff and a bunch of resources and phone numbers for if I get accepted, so I think she thinks I already applied...?"</p><p>Caleb peeks at the topmost sheet; it's about the improving racial demographics of the college. "At university, people give paper rectangles to make you feel more welcome."</p><p>"I might go put this down at a table or something." Nott looks toward the seating area, but just then, in the corner of his eye, Caleb spots Yeza walking over.</p><p>"You came!" He sounds a little breathless.</p><p>Nott blinks at him a moment. "Oh! Yeah, you said... um... you were right. It <em>is</em> nice here."</p><p>Yeza smiles at her, then down at his shoes. Caleb grins and reminds himself to compliment Jester on her famous no-makeup makeup routine. Works every time. "Oh," Yeza says. "It looks like they kinda weighed you down there." He seems to reach out automatically to offer to take it, catching himself and then deciding to do it after all. "Can I...?"</p><p>"We're getting drinks," Molly announces with a warm smile, and takes Caleb's elbow. Caleb allows himself to be steered away just as Nott seems to decide to let Yeza take the stack of papers.</p><p>"<em>Sehr nett</em>," Molly murmurs under his breath.</p><p>Cute is an understatement. "<em>Ja</em>," Caleb agrees, and is not surprised when Molly stops them at the bar in just such a way that their backs are to Nott and Yeza, giving them maximum privacy. "So, how are we going to spend our time here?"</p><p>"Hm. You'll buy me a drink."</p><p>Caleb nods. "And we will go back and finish the paperwork."</p><p>Molly pouts. "We'll be like that scene in MIB."</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"With the egg chairs, and the tiny coffee tables, and the teeny pencil that breaks."</p><p>"Ah. Well, we will persevere through it."</p><p>"Fine. And <em>then</em> we will dance."</p><p>Caleb frowns at the dancefloor. "I cannot imagine," he says, and doesn't even have to finish the sentence before Molly's grinning.</p><p>"I know, everyone will be able to see us. But we'll do it for Nott."</p><p>"You are being manipulative," Caleb accuses without any heat.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://caitercates.tumblr.com/post/637675344183410688/some-quick-doodles-for-my-lovely-friend-chaya">If you haven't already, check out this INCREDIBLE art by Cait for chapter 5: the pajimjammining!</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On their way back to the apartment, Molly prods a little.</p><p>"So, what'd you think?"</p><p>"Loved it." Nott smiles widely up at him. Molly makes an impressed sound.</p><p>"Anything specific?"</p><p>"Everyone was very welcoming, I got a bunch of great book recommendations, and I also have a book's worth of <em>paper</em>, here..." Nott peers up at Caleb. "Is it bad if I put like half of this in the recycling when we get back to your place? Some of this stuff is really interesting, but some things I just took because I couldn't say no."</p><p>"Taking flyers because you cannot say no, and then immediately recycling them." Caleb nods sagely. "This is also a very important part of college."</p><p>"So the actual thing, that I wanted your thoughts on," Molly continues, "was that young man you spent a bit of time with tonight."</p><p>"Oh, <em>that</em>." Nott feigns innocence. Molly waits for Nott to continue, but she doesn't.</p><p>"Perhaps we will leave her alone about it," Caleb suggests. "She is an adult and can manage herself."</p><p>"Is he the respectable sort?" Molly pretends to press. "Is he kind to the servants?"</p><p>Caleb laughs. "Molly."</p><p>"Are his estates well managed? Can he <em>provide</em> for you?"</p><p>"<em>Molly</em>."</p><p>**</p><p>When they get back, Nott seems to be texting more than usual. (It's especially weird to see her texting much when the gang is all already in the room.)</p><p>Beau doesn't notice because she is in an aura of self-satisfied smugness about whatever she got up to with Keg. Molly definitely notices, and even knows who Nott's texting, and says nothing about it as he already used up his teasing points on the way back to the apartment. Fjord <em>maybe</em> notices, but he is in some kind of chill, no-worries, whatever-will-be-will-be vibe from all the meditating that is an unexpected but not unwelcome look on him. Jester doesn't notice because she's excitedly showing off the new flamingos-on-blue bikini she bought specifically for tomorrow, along with a frankly unreasonable number of premade wraps and sandwiches.</p><p>"You didn't have to do that," Molly says.</p><p>"You guys are already giving up all your personal space and everything for us, let me at least save you from, like, getting up at the crack of <em>dawn </em>tomorrow to make us all lunch for the day."</p><p>Molly narrows his eyes. "Jester, how long do you think sandwiches take to make?"</p><p>"You know what I mean. And I got <em>soda</em>, and some <em>water bottles</em>, and a bunch of kinds of <em>chips</em>, it'll be, like, a little picnic feast."</p><p>Caleb looks at the bags. "Will it all fit in the two picnic baskets?"</p><p>Jester chews her lip. "Thaaaat... I don't know."</p><p>**</p><p>Caleb wakes up at 8:15 AM to a call from an unknown local number.</p><p>"Hallo?"</p><p>The man on the other end begins speaking English at a normal clip... which, at this hour, feels like lightspeed. Caleb hesitates a fraction of a second before rolling over and pressing the phone to Molly's ear.</p><p>"Sorry, hello?" Molly takes over instantly. He listens for a few moments and then stretches, taking the phone to hold himself. "Yes, this is - yes." He sits up. Caleb, still bleary and not yet ready to take on secondary languages, takes a moment to admire the planes of Molly's chest, the thin line of hair that disappears under the covers, in the morning light. "Oh. Sure, we were asleep, if - no, it's okay, you didn't know. Um, if you give us a few minutes we can come -" Molly blinks and listens. "Are you sure? Yeah, okay, I'll - we'll be ready to take them. Thanks. Yeah. Bye."</p><p>Molly hangs up Caleb's phone and hands it back.</p><p>"Van," Molly says, pointing outside.</p><p>Caleb blinks. "<em>Bereits?</em>"</p><p>Molly nods. "Yeah, and the guy is coming up to our door to drop off the keys so we don't have to go downstairs to get them." Molly hesitates. "Uh. <em>Er bringt die Schlüss... Schlüssel... zu unserer Tür.</em>"</p><p>Caleb reaches out as Molly begins to get out of the bed, grabbing his wrist.  "Molly."</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"<em>Ich liebe dich.</em>"</p><p>Molly laughs and lifts his hand up to kiss it. "Well, <em>one</em> of us has to be a morning person."</p><p>"<em>Let us thrive today</em>," Caleb croaks in raspy Infernal, and Molly laughs loudly enough to wake up everyone in the apartment.</p><p>"You guys awake in there?" Beau asks through the door.</p><p>"Yes," Molly calls back. "Sorry, are you guys up?"</p><p>"Fjord's up, I don't know about Jester and Nott, but they probably are now." A beat. "You both decent?"</p><p>"Nope, dicks everywhere." Molly reaches for his pajama pants again, but hesitates. "Hey, a guy's gonna drop the van keys off at our door, can you answer when he knocks?"</p><p>"Yeah, sure."</p><p>"Thanks!" Molly rolls back onto the bed, half on Caleb, making him giggle.</p><p>"Buying more time," Caleb notes jokingly, as Molly begins to press quiet little kisses over his chest and shoulders.</p><p>"Maybe a little." Molly's tail swishes when he rubs the stubble on his cheek against Caleb's pectoral, making him shiver.</p><p>"<em>Schatz.</em>"</p><p>"I know. We agreed. But." Molly sighs, seeming to go boneless as he wraps himself around Caleb's side, tail twining around his calf. Caleb hugs back.</p><p>"I want to too," Caleb confesses. "But. It would be gross."</p><p>"It would be," Molly agrees. "We can go back to as much as we want of it when they're on the train home."</p><p>Caleb laughs. "When...? As soon as they are on the train, we resume?"</p><p>"Yes," Molly says with exaggerated enthusiasm. "I'll ride you in the train station bathroom."</p><p>"You are joking."</p><p>"I'm mostly joking, yes."</p><p>Caleb kisses the top of his head. "Let's get dressed before we talk too much."</p><p>**</p><p>"The important thing is <em>sunscreen</em>," Jester is saying, just as Caleb exits his room to a crowded hallway. "Oh, good morning Caleb! Sorry, we'll move."</p><p>"You are fine," Caleb says, rubbing the last of the sleep out of his eyes as Nott scooches past him and into the living room. Once they're all there and more dispersed, Caleb can see that Beau and Fjord have made an assembly line of fridge-to-basket items, along with a duffel bag full of towels and sunscreen bottles. "Oh! Everything is already. Going."</p><p>"We're almost ready." Fjord gives a thumbs up as he passes another soda can off to Beau. "Molly that is, uh, quite the sun hat."</p><p>Molly reaches out so he can trace along the edge of it. "I have to preserve my tattoos," he says primly.</p><p>Nott pulls her t-shirt up a few inches to show that she's got a forest green swimsuit on underneath it. "We're all already dressed, right?"</p><p>Beau tugs her shirt's neckline to the side to reveal what is definitely the strap of some kind of swimwear and not a bra. Jester does the same move, showing a thin blue strap with a little flamingo pink on it.</p><p>"Fjord," Molly prompts. "Your bikini strap, please."</p><p>"Li'l busy," Fjord says, and walks over to where Beau is frowning at the second picnic basket. "Okay, uh, bad news, we can't fit all these drinks."</p><p>Jester makes a disappointed sound.</p><p>"Good news, we fit the first ten, and the others can stay in the fridge and we can drink them literally whenever."</p><p>"Okay, I <em>guess</em>."</p><p>"Beach is ruined," Caleb announces. "Might as well cancel."</p><p>Fjord lets out a large fake sigh. "Beau, start unpackin' everything."</p><p>**</p><p>The van turns out to be... much nicer than expected. It's not just that it looks almost-new and very fancy, it's that it has full seating, with fancy stitching, like it's used for driving the talent around, not for lugging speakers or something. Caleb blinks at it several times as Molly clicks the unlock button and begins to inspect the interior.</p><p>"Good thing Fjord has that commercial license," Beau remarks.</p><p>"Caleb," Nott says, "are you sure you aren't friends with, like, a mob boss or something?"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure I'm not." Caleb frowns. "Um. If he is, he is a very nice one."</p><p>"If he ever asks you to hold onto something, don't- hm." Nott looks to Beau. "We should make sure there aren't any drugs hidden anywhere."</p><p>Beau looks immediately too intrigued, and Fjord holds a rare hand up. "We are <em>not</em> takin' apart the nice loaner van."</p><p>Jester finishes loading the trunk and shuts it. "Let's goooo," she says.</p><p>Molly hands Fjord the keys, who gets into the driver's seat and cracks his knuckles. "Jester, you wanna sit shotgun and DJ for us? There's already a cord in here."</p><p>"Oooh!" Jester says, and trots up the sidewalk as Molly and Caleb exchange a glance. <em>That was more than expected</em>.</p><p>"Caleeeeb," Nott summons from the back of the van.</p><p>"Nooo," Molly pretends to reach out ineffectually for Caleb, who laughs.</p><p>"I am being summoned. There is no choice."</p><p>"Caleb Weiisssssss," Nott summons louder.</p><p>"Fine." Molly turns. "Beau, we're gonna be middle travel buddies."</p><p>"Okay, but don't hog the licorice bites."</p><p>"Those sound nasty."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://caitercates.tumblr.com/post/637675344183410688/some-quick-doodles-for-my-lovely-friend-chaya">If you haven't already, check out this INCREDIBLE art by Cait for chapter 5: the pajimjammining!</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I can see it," Jester says excitedly, pointing up ahead as Fjord finishes turning into the parking lot. "I can see it I can see it!"</p><p>"We have an ocean at home, too," Fjord reminds her affectionately.</p><p>"Yeah but it's cold as fuck." Jester, bouncing in her seat, turns to make sure that others are excited too.</p><p>"Beach," Molly chirps, which sets off a series of excited echoes throughout the van that do not stop for the entire time it takes to find parking. Caleb leans forward and gives a playful swat to the back of his head.</p><p>Nott, next to Caleb, slumps against him a little. Caleb realizes she's still asleep - he reaches to her far shoulder and squeezes it with far more care. "Nott."</p><p>Nott grunts and curls up a bit more tightly, as far into his lap as she can go while still being buckled in. How she can sleep through anything is beyond him.</p><p>"Nott," he tries again, as Jester unplugs her phone from the charger and the music stops. People are opening doors to pile out. Caleb finally jostles her more firmly, until she makes a more coherent grunt and begins to sit up. "We're here! The beach."</p><p>The out-of-sync chorus of "Beach!" starts up again. Fjord starts saying it in a fake macho voice and Molly and Beau join in immediately.</p><p>"We <em>have</em> to do sunscreen as soon as we have a spot," Jester is telling everyone as she climbs out. "Not just for Molly's tattoos and Caleb's fragile pink human skin-"</p><p>"- Jester! -"</p><p>"Sorry Cay-leb but it's true. We <em>all </em>need to be all covered up, but you especially."</p><p>Beau, balancing one beach umbrella on each shoulder, pouts. "Nobody cares about <em>my</em> fragile human skin?"</p><p>"You have way more melanin than Caleb! You know that."</p><p>"Yeah, but. Maybe I want somebody to fuss over me."</p><p>"I'll do your back for you when we get settled," Jester promises. "And I'll remind you we have to put more on every hour." She leans over conspiratorially to Caleb as Beau walks ahead. "I was gonna do that anyway."</p><p>"Okay, we have everything outta the van..." Nott scrambles up onto the bumper to hang off the end of the open trunk, wiggling confusedly when it doesn't budge.</p><p>"Nott, let go," Fjord says with a barely stifled laugh. He's holding the key fob.</p><p>"It-" Nott wiggles harder.</p><p>"Nott. Jus'- let go."</p><p>Nott scowls and lets herself drop down, backing up and watching as Fjord pushes a button and the door begins to slowly close on its own.</p><p>"Too fancy," Nott mutters.</p><p>Their flip flops slap on the sidewalk. Molly is carrying two light duffel bags full of rolled up towels and sunscreen bottles. Caleb decides it's only gentlemanly to reach out and offer to take one of them.</p><p>"Cutie." Molly's tail curls and brushes his shin as he eases one off his shoulder.</p><p>"You two are ridiculous," Fjord rumbles, smiling. Molly just beams at him, the tips of his ears tapping against the brim of his enormous hat as they tilt up.</p><p>"I got a goooood one," Molly singsongs, doing a little twirl to make his beach cover up twirl around his calves like a skirt.</p><p>"He's got weak skin," Nott pretends to argue. "Vulnerable to the <em>sun</em>. The sun's, like, <em>everywhere</em>."</p><p>"I was meant for caves," Caleb says despondently.</p><p>"Are there a lot of caves in Germany?" Beau kicks her sandals off as she reaches the beginning of the sand and then realizes she can't easily bend down to carry them while carrying both umbrellas. As one unit, the rest of the group stops silently, waiting for her to decide on something. "... can... can somebody..."</p><p>Molly seems sad that she's not going to try to grab them herself and lose an umbrella in the process. "Yes," he says finally, and walks up to her, doing a little curtsy to her as his tail threads itself through one of the loops on each sandal. "Happy to help a woman in crisis."</p><p>"I just-"</p><p>"A woman who needs a <em>man's help</em>." He says, kicking his own flip flops off to thread them up too, beginning to scoot away from Beau as fast as possible.</p><p>"These umbrellas are <em>heavy</em>, okay, <em>fuck</em> y- come back here!"</p><p>Caleb watches the chase for a few seconds before rolling his eyes. "At least kite her to a good spot," he chides loudly to Molly, making Fjord snort. Molly seems to be out of shouting distance now, and Caleb can only barely hear him taunting Beau over the sound of the wind as Jester starts to walk ahead and look independently for a place to settle down.</p><p>"They'll get tuckered out eventually," Jester reasons.</p><p>"Yeah." Fjord shrugs and follows behind, and after a few moments of wandering, they find an area that's just the right distance from the shore and from other groups.</p><p>Nott looks over at the light brown blur chasing the purple blur. "They gonna find us all the way down there?"</p><p>"We are a rainbow," Caleb points out, shrugging. Around them are clusters of peaches, browns, even some greens, but none so mixed together, and none with a pop of blue.</p><p>Jester giggles. "Remember at graduation, when we-"</p><p>Nott laughs, already remembering.</p><p>Caleb unzips his duffle and begins laying some towels out at what he thinks are both reasonable and equal intervals. "Yes, Jester made a very good beacon for the rest of us." He looks to Fjord. "Do you think you and Beau could recreate that? Putting someone on your shoulders seems like an appropriate beach activity."</p><p>"We could even get a picture this time." Fjord is definitely considering it.</p><p>"Your boyfriend sucks, and I'm thirsty." Beau is red-faced and out of breath as she makes a beeline for the picnic basket Fjord just put down. Jester trades one of the umbrellas for a bottle of water, and begins to twist it into the ground as Beau absolutely demolishes the water and crushes the bottle on her head.</p><p>"Being all macho because you're mad you didn't catch him," Fjord accuses with a smirk.</p><p>"I'd get <em>you</em>," Beau huffs, eyes narrowing.</p><p>Fjord makes a thinking-about-it sound, then an acknowledging sound. "So. He comin' back?"</p><p>Beau frowns. "Who?"</p><p>"Your quarry," Caleb says flatly, just as Beau's eyes track behind him and narrow again. "He's behind me, isn't he."</p><p>"He's using you as a shield."</p><p>"It's not stupid if it works," Molly's voice chirps behind Caleb.</p><p>Caleb heaves a sigh and puts up both arms. "I demand peace," he announces, "for, at least, the time it takes to set up our spot, and also, to put on sunscreen." The group watches Molly and Beau as they evaluate each other and then shake on it. Molly also uncurls his tail to deposit his own sandals at his feet, then Beau's at hers. "Okay."</p><p>"Beau, put the other umbrella here." Jester points to a spot in the ground. Beau begins to wrestle it into the perfect angle, and Caleb drops down onto one of the already-shaded towels and sets his flip flops in front of it for dibs. When Molly's done unpacking his towels and rolling them out, he comes over and drops his flip flops on the next towel over.</p><p>"Yaaaaaas," Molly says, looking over as Jester pulls off her tee and jeans to reveal her swimsuit. Jester giggles. "Gag on these <em>flamingos</em>."</p><p>"You cannot just do one of them," Caleb points out.</p><p>"<em>Slay</em> with your Target brand board shorts," Molly adds to Fjord, a little further on. "Go on, gurl, give us <em>minimal</em>."</p><p>"They were on sale," Fjord says unapologetically.</p><p>"Give me <em>deals</em>, give me <em>savings</em>."</p><p>Beau leans past Molly to Caleb. "Is he being ironic?"</p><p>Caleb evaluates. "Yes, but also, no."</p><p>Beau seems to accept this, shrugging and taking her tank top off. Her swim top sort of looks like a sports bra, and her board shorts sort of look like men's board shorts, so it seems to be one of the silhouettes that Beau likes better than the usual feminine swimsuits. Caleb adds a little light clapping as Molly says something about upending gender norms and color blocking.</p><p>"Are we ready for more normcore?" Nott asks, and Molly starts slapping on his thighs to imitate a drumroll. When Nott wiggles out of her baggy tee and shorts to reveal a dark green one piece suit, Molly shouts and tips over dramatically.</p><p>"Yes!" He says. "Give me <em>nondescript! </em>Give me <em>juniors section!</em>"</p><p>Nott seems perfectly content with this. "It's got a string thing going on at the back," she points out, turning around so Molly can see.</p><p>He sits up, more himself now. "Hey, that's pretty cute."</p><p>"Caleb, where is your reveal?" Jester frowns, and Caleb looks down to his ramen t-shirt and board shorts.</p><p>"Um. Ta-da," Caleb tries, holding his hands out.</p><p>Jester looks to Molly and frowns more deeply.</p><p>"The king of normcore," Molly defends. "The brown hoodie lives on in spirit. In everything else he wears."</p><p>"I miss that hoodie," Caleb sighs.</p><p>"It was more cat hair than cotton by the end," Nott says wistfully. "Still haven't figured out how it got so stinky, though."</p><p>Caleb scowls. "It was not that stinky."</p><p>"Not <em>super</em> stinky," Nott amends.</p><p>"<em>Extremely stinky</em>," Jester counters.</p><p>"I'm abstaining." Fjord puts a hand up and lays down, stretching out on his towel.</p><p>"You always exaggerate how it smelled," Caleb sulks. "You make it sound like it had gotten... gotten attacked by those black and white things. Molly. Help."</p><p>"Skunk," Molly supplies neutrally from his starfish position on his towel. "Sprayed by a skunk."</p><p>"We need to remember sunscreen," Jester pivots. Fjord and Molly make various lazy disagreeing sounds from their towels, and Beau and Nott, looking out over the water, make less lazy reluctant sort of sounds. Caleb just sighs and pulls out a bottle to get to work. After a few minutes of everyone working on themselves in mostly-silence, they begin to turn to each other.</p><p>"Lemme see your face," Molly says to Caleb, curling up next to him. His skin is warm against Caleb's bare calf, making him blush a little. Caleb sits up straight and closes his eyes, already used to the routine of Molly checking for missed spots. "Did you remember your ears?"</p><p>"Nein."</p><p>The pads of Molly's thumbs sweep across his cheeks, gathering enough sunscreen to rub onto the tips of Caleb's ears. He flinches.</p><p>"That tickles, stop."</p><p>"You're the one who forgot."</p><p>A few towels away, Beau is helping Nott with her back, then turning around.</p><p>"Your sports bra thing doesn't give me much to do," Nott says.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess it's mostly just my lower back."</p><p>Caleb also spots Jester and Fjord, a little further on. Fjord is asking Jester something, and then he's tugging back the straps of her top just enough to rub his fingers underneath them, making sure to get full coverage.</p><p>"<em>Sie sind so süß</em>," Caleb murmurs, and Molly very carefully peeks to see.</p><p>"That sounds like a tongue-twister," Nott says quietly, not loud enough to draw attention. Caleb smiles at her.</p><p>"<em>Er scheint... ruhiger? Zu sein</em>?" Molly scoots around Caleb and begins rubbing sunscreen into his back. Caleb looks to Fjord - he <em>does</em> seem calmer.</p><p>"Ja."</p><p>"<em>If it is inevitable, face it bravely</em>," Molly says in Tiefling, which takes Caleb a few moments to identify from the short list of phrases he's learned to say and understand. By the time Caleb has begun to apply the phrase to the situation, Molly has already gotten up, settling himself in Caleb's lap like a demanding housecat. "The full rub-down, please. Hot stone, Swedish, all of 'em. Combined."</p><p>Caleb traces the newest ink on Molly's skin - the floral piece that was connected to the snake on his arm. "Hmm, sir, I am sorry, I was not trained to massage flowers."</p><p>"I'll pay extra."</p><p>"Well, I guess capitalism wins the day." He picks up the sunscreen bottle as Beau snickers at him.</p><p>"Skunk? Can't remember that word. Capitalism? Easy peasy."</p><p>"There are no skunks in Europe," Caleb reminds her, beginning to smooth a blob of sunscreen out over Molly's back. "Capitalism, though, yes."</p><p>"Say 'tattoo'," Nott requests, not for the first time.</p><p>Caleb indulges her. "<em>Tätowierung</em>."</p><p>Nott giggles. Caleb smiles.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy hols, dear readers. Take care of yourselves, and don't forget to leave comments in everyone's stockings. &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nott is the first one finished. She empties a bag of chips onto Beau's towel before trotting to the shore with the empty bag and beginning to hunt for seashells.</p>
<p>"She really loves shiny," Caleb remarks. He hears some crunching sounds and looks over judgmentally to Beau. "Really?"</p>
<p>"It's a <em>clean beach towel</em>, not the <em>floor</em>," she says, still chewing.</p>
<p>Jester gets to her feet next and stretches. "Caleb, Molly, do they ever find, like, weird stuff washed up on the beach?"</p>
<p>"Like what?" Molly tilts his head. Jester shrugs.</p>
<p>"Body parts. I donno."</p>
<p>"Not... really."</p>
<p>Jester looks disappointed. "I'll help Nott anyway."</p>
<p>Beau watches her walk away. "Sometimes I forget her weird morbid side, and then it like... smacks me upside the face."</p>
<p>"It is all those true crime podcasts." Caleb gets to his feet. "I am going to swim some. We will always go buddy system, ja? Since there is no life guard?"</p>
<p>"I'll protect you," Molly declares cheerfully.</p>
<p>Fjord is too familiar with the ocean to make any joke about this - he just nods and gets up too. "I do actually wanna swim while I'm here, yeah."</p>
<p>"I'm going for a jog," Beau says.</p>
<p>Caleb does the math on this. "I would say you need a buddy for that also, but, it is you, so... you do not."</p>
<p>Beau winks and takes off.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Caleb does not surprise himself when he's the first to feel worn out and also bleary from so much sun. He returns to their spot, finding that along the bottom of his towel, someone has lined up a series of shells. He sits down and examines them.</p>
<p>The leftmost one is an almost complete shell which, when flipped over, has a very nice multicolor shine to it. The second one is just as nice a reflection on the underside, but there are several holes and cracks to it. Third from last is a piece of sea glass that probably started its life as a beer bottle, now smoothed over and trapezoidal. Caleb determines that they are currently voted left to right, but finds he is less impressed with the sea glass and likes the shells with the unique reflective colors more than the standard. He reorders them and arranges them on the bottom of Nott's towel just as Beau comes back.</p>
<p>"Good jog?"</p>
<p>She grins, and Caleb notices she doesn't look tired. "I've actually been spending the last few minutes helping with angles." She gestures far to the left, where Caleb now sees that Jester is aiming her camera phone at Nott, who is posing casually.</p>
<p>They don't normally do many pictures, let alone prepare them and pose for them like this. "Huh."</p>
<p>"Nott noticed Jester taking selfies for her blog, and asked her to <em>help her with Instagram filters</em>," Beau stage whispers. Caleb sits up straighter and considers this.</p>
<p>"...oh," Caleb says finally.</p>
<p>Beau grins widely.</p>
<p>"For Nott's own Instagram."</p>
<p>Beau nods.</p>
<p>"So Yeza will see it."</p>
<p>"You really are a master intellect, my dude."</p>
<p>"You are also a very smart idiot, so, I do not feel so bad." Caleb shrugs and uses the heel of his hand to push some of the water dripping from his hair away from his eyes. "Do you-" He stops, noticing Beau's expression, and turns to look what it is.</p>
<p>Off in the waist-deep water, Molly is sitting on Fjord's shoulders, staring at Beau, hands in fists and rotating them menacingly like a pugilist.</p>
<p>Beau's nose wrinkles. "JESTER!"</p>
<p>"What!"</p>
<p>"CHICKEN FIGHT!"</p>
<p>"Fuck! Yeah! Okay!"</p>
<p>Caleb watches in confusion as Jester jogs over, drops her phone on her towel, and then runs with Beau toward the water.</p>
<p>Nott comes over not long after, plopping down and evaluating Caleb's shell ratings.</p>
<p>"Nott, a chicken fight? It means... on-the-shoulders fight?"</p>
<p>"Yup," she says, still examining the shell order.</p>
<p>"Ah." Caleb watches the process of Beau crawling up Jester's back, trying to swing the first leg over Jester's shoulder, and falling into the water. "Hm."</p>
<p>Nott picks up the piece of sea glass and holds it out for Caleb. "What's this called in German?"</p>
<p>"<em>Seeglas.</em>"</p>
<p>"Oh, okay, so the same thing."</p>
<p>Caleb nods and looks back to the water. "They are okay, but I like the shells better."</p>
<p>"I remember when you hated people asking what stuff was in German."</p>
<p>"I love you now. You can ask me anything." Up ahead, Molly's tail keeps wavering for balance, and Fjord is saying something to him while looking worriedly at Beau finally getting onto Jester's shoulders. She wobbles for a moment and grabs Jester's horns, whose eyes go wide, and then they're both falling back into the water.</p>
<p>Caleb continues to watch as he hears Nott get up and move to Molly's towel, so she can lean over and bonk her head gently against Caleb's shoulder. Caleb leans back to return it.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Caleb takes a few photos, mostly of seagulls, and then lays down to nap. Nott fiddles on her phone a while before Caleb hears her get to her feet and pad off.</p>
<p>It's nice - the air is so warm against his skin he doesn't need a blanket in the shade, and in the distance he can hear familiar voices laughing. Further off, kids are laughing and shrieking in the water. Caleb is pretty sure he drifts off for a good ten minutes at least before he hears Molly's voice coming closer:</p>
<p>"..gulps of soda just to get the salt water out of my mouth-"</p>
<p>"Shh!" Beau is saying. "Look, he's sleeping."</p>
<p>Caleb scrunches his nose and wiggles his toes, lifting one a few inches off the towel for a brief 'wave'.</p>
<p>"Look, we woke him up." Beau laughs and Caleb stretches and pushes himself up, the sand under the towel giving way beneath the heel of his hand.</p>
<p>"I am up, I am socializing."</p>
<p>Molly plops down next to him, planting a very damp kiss to his cheek. "You wanna snack?"</p>
<p>Caleb looks at Nott and Beau flanking the first picnic basket, very studiously removing certain items and not others as they dig for what they want. Nott produces a water bottle and sticks it out toward Molly without looking, who takes it and hands it to Caleb.</p>
<p>"Just chips, thank you."</p>
<p>"I'm eating a sandwich," Nott declares.</p>
<p>"Eat whatever you like," Caleb encourages.</p>
<p>"I might eat two sandwiches," Nott amends.</p>
<p>"Power your tiny kicks," Molly tells her. Caleb admires the way his curls are (temporarily) weighed down with ocean water, still barely wavy as it clings to the nape of his neck. "You need big nutrition for those big waves."</p>
<p>Beau twists open a soda and downs half of it, belching loudly. She looks over her shoulder with an interestingly neutral sort of expression, which makes Caleb look, too.</p>
<p>Jester and Fjord are pretty far off, green and blue shapes in the distance. He squints. They're standing about waist-high in the water, holding each-</p>
<p>"Oh!" Caleb looks away again, face burning.</p>
<p>"<em>Ohhh</em>," Molly says, sitting up a little straighter and sounding intrigued. "That's almost a <em>hug</em>, out there."</p>
<p>"We're not looking," Beau says firmly. She pushes a random bag of chips toward Molly and then another toward Caleb. Caleb takes it dutifully and begins to pull it open.</p>
<p>"Okay, okay." Nott gets up on her knees and scoots until she's turned around, forming a little semicircle pointed away from the two in the water. "We're just snacking. Guys, don't panic, we're snacking and we're oblivious."</p>
<p>"This could be it," Molly says with a great deal of mischief in his voice.</p>
<p>"I fuckin' hope so." Beau downs the second half of the soda and begins rummaging again. "Molly, your eyes are fuckin' red. Stop peeking."</p>
<p>"I'm sneaky," Molly counters.</p>
<p>Caleb picks up the end of Molly's tail and pokes him in the leg with it. "<em>Bitte</em>," he requests. Molly hmphs and twists around, examining the chips Beau allotted to him.</p>
<p>"Okay. Okay. Being good. I'm very oblivious! Not interested."</p>
<p>"Not noticing, not interested," Beau agrees. There is a long stretch of silence, with scattered sounds of bags being torn open and chips being chewed.</p>
<p>"Look at us, just stewing in this awkwardness." Molly takes a chip and tosses it in the air, almost missing it as it comes down. "Living in the moment." He chews open-mouthed. "Not a cell phone in sight."</p>
<p>"I hope it's like a movie," Nott says, almost to herself.</p>
<p>"Be more specific," Caleb jokes. Nott seems to be mulling over this as she bites into her sandwich.</p>
<p>"Pr' n' pr-js," Nott concludes finally, cheeks full. Caleb squints at her questioningly.</p>
<p>"Pride and Prejudice." Beau translates.</p>
<p>"Mm," Nott confirms.</p>
<p>Molly considers this. "The Keira Knightley one?"</p>
<p>"Mm-hmm," Nott enthuses. Her ears tick up as she smiles.</p>
<p>Caleb thinks about this. "I am a 'bad gay', I do not know many rom coms. Or roms." He looks at Molly's chip bag and decides to take it, handing his over in trade, before beginning to eat. "But I hope they are saying all the things they should say. And I hope it goes well."</p>
<p>Everyone makes various sounds of agreement. Caleb begins to eat.</p>
<p>A few moments pass. "Caleb? Did you switch our chips without me noticing?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ty for all your comments &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jester blinks through the droplets on her lashes and watches Fjord's tense expression, waiting, feeling his hands tighten a little on her hips. She feels like her heart is about to beat out of her chest.</p>
<p>"Everything was so good back home," he says, over the sound of the waves. "You and me and Beau, and then the others. School. Town. Everything was good, and familiar, and I knew it wouldn't last and I think... I started dreading that change. But." When he looks up at her, his cheeks are dark green but he's smiling like she's never seen before. She smiles back, hoping she doesn't look as ridiculous as she feels. "I <em>like</em> my new classes, learning all this new stuff, meeting all these new people, seeing places like this.. it's all really good. And I think that helped me to stop being so stupid about everything. To, uh, to see clearer, that... change isn't always loss. And you can like things that are familiar and still... hope they might change. Maybe it'll be good. Where we end up living... I wanna be around you. Not because you're familiar. Because you make me happy. And if I'm back home, or somewhere like here... I'd want you to be there too, because you'd make it better."</p>
<p>That has to mean what Jester thinks it means, because it can't mean anything else, but there's still some part of her that's been holding everything in so long that letting herself believe is-</p>
<p>"Jes?"</p>
<p>"Y-yeah?"</p>
<p>"Please say somethin'." Fjord ducks his head a little, actually bashful. "I, uh, I know that was kinda rambly, but I-"</p>
<p>Jester gets on tiptoe, sand wet and shifting under her feet, to get as close to him as possible, and uses her leverage on his shoulders to get just high enough to press her mouth to his.</p>
<p>He doesn't seem to move, but the waves are shifting and it's kind of hard to tell. She lets herself drop down, bare feet brushing his a little under the water, and tilts her face up to keep locked on his expression.</p>
<p>"I think you meant that," she says after a few seconds.</p>
<p>"I-" He lets go of her hip to touch his fingers to his lips. The dark green is across his cheeks and down his neck now, making Jester giggle. "I did," he says finally. "Yeah, I, uh, I said all that to, uh, to say what you just said."</p>
<p>"Okay, good." Jester's hands fret on his shoulders a little when a particularly strong wave pushes past them, making Fjord reflexively hold her tighter at the hips so she doesn't lose balance. "This is like, a super romantic spot, but also, I think the ocean is trying to knock us over."</p>
<p>"Do, uh, do you wanna-" Fjord looks over his shoulder, toward the hangout spot, and laughs a little.</p>
<p>"What? What?" Jester leans around him without letting go to see that they're all facing away, like they're focused on something else. She gasps. "Do - do you think there's a seagull or something!?"</p>
<p>"I don't know if-"</p>
<p>"Oh my god or a <em>sandpiper</em>, those little ones that go back and forth over and over, oh my god can you see, Fjord, can you see?"</p>
<p>Fjord seems to be holding in laughter. Maybe he's really happy about getting kissed. "I can't see any birds," he says finally. "Maybe we should just take advantage of, um, of our privacy here, if, y'know, you feel like it."</p>
<p>Jester thinks about this. "To, like, kiss again?"</p>
<p>Fjord's tusks are so cute when he grins. "Yeah, if you'd like to." He looks down at his hands on her hips, like he can't quite stop looking for some reason. Jester thinks about Fjord, and about the possibility of a friendly wild bird, possibly who likes being fed chips or <em>maybe even sitting in cupped hands or perching on someone's arm</em>, but, the possibility of that just doesn't quite match up with the smile Fjord's aiming at her. The salt water is in his stupid perfect hair and he just looks so... like him. And she's definitely waited long enough.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I think we should kiss a few more times."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Caleb wakes up with Frumpkin asleep in the crook of his arm and Molly's hand gently squeezing his shoulder.</p><p>"Nein," Caleb protests mildly.</p><p>"It's important." Molly's voice is very quiet but so sincere that Caleb almost dislodges Frumpkin as he pushes himself up in bed, staring blearily at Molly's face until Molly puts both hands in the air. "Everything's fine. <em>Alles gut.</em>"</p><p>"Okay," Caleb says, and then looks around the room. It's like five in the morning. He remembers everyone's in the apartment and wonders if this is about them.</p><p>"I went to- I went to pee, and I saw... come on, you have to see." Molly tilts his head toward the door, which it turns out is still slightly ajar. "Uh, <em>du musst sehen.</em>"</p><p>Caleb pushes the sleep out of his eyes and creeps out of bed, across the room, toward the door. Molly's crouched with his tail out and balancing as he points to the door. "<em>Was</em>...?"</p><p>Molly gestures for him to hurry up, but quietly. Caleb can tell now that he's more awake that Molly is grinning from ear to ear.</p><p>Okay, so this is definitely something good. Caleb eases the door back, inch by inch, knowing the creaks to avoid as he takes careful steps to get <em>just</em> enough out the door to peer down the empty hallway, down toward the living room.</p><p>At first it looks like there's nothing. Some early sunlight is filtering in, and he can't see anyone on the couch from this angle - but he also realizes that the couch looks odd and low because the cushions for the back aren't there. Caleb frowns, looking down at his feet and taking another two <em>very</em> careful steps until he can see that the couch has been stripped bare. Another step and he can see the floor beneath the couch - a mess of blankets and pillows, couch cushions as pillows, where Fjord and Jester are spooned up together and fast asleep.</p><p>Fjord's mouth is open and he appears to be snoring quietly against Jester's neck. His arm is curled around her middle. Jester's wearing lollipop pajamas that are ridden up at the sleeves where she's tangled herself up in some blankets she's hugging to her belly. Caleb also notices she's wearing... fluffy horn covers... with pom poms on the end.</p><p>Caleb stares a few moments, committing this image to memory, before looking down at his feet again and going back into his room exactly the way he left it. He eases the door shut inch by inch, leaving it just as Molly had it.</p><p>"That," Caleb mouths.</p><p>"Yes," Molly agrees.</p><p>"Is the <em>cutest thing</em>," Caleb continues.</p><p>"<em>Yes,</em>" Molly agrees silently.</p><p>"I have <em>ever</em>..." Caleb gesticulates, stops, starts again, and gives up. "I am. So happy."</p><p>Molly nods several times. "Okay. I haven't peed yet."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Molly continues to keep his voice as low as possible as he begins to pass Caleb on the way to the door. "I was going to pee and I saw that. And I knew the squeaky-ass bathroom door is probably gonna wake them up. So I had to make sure you saw first."</p><p>"You are a very good boyfriend."</p><p>"I am." Molly creeps a little further, disappearing past the door, then sticks his head back in very quickly. "I love you."</p><p>"Love you too. Go pee."</p><p>"Okay. Bye."</p><p>Caleb stands there in the middle of his bedroom, thinking. He hears the sound of Frumpkin drop to the floor, trill quietly, and begin to weave around his legs. He hears one very quiet step. Then he hears the unfortunate squeak of the bathroom door opening enough for someone to slip through. In the living room, he thinks he can hear some shuffling, then silence, then a few quiet words in a low voice. Jester definitely giggles. More brief shuffling.</p><p>Caleb leans forward enough to close the door the rest of the way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is my final opportunity to thank everyone! I've stolen the orchestra's instruments so they can't play me off! I'm drunk with power!</p><p>Another big thank you to sorrelchestnut and caitercates, for all their mid-chapter support! Caitercates also drew all the incredible fanart so far, which, have you seen it all? Some of it got added later, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749383?view_full_work=true">you might wanna go back and check</a>, because every single piece is so sweet and perfect for the story, I can't even.</p><p> I also want to thank my regulars. You guys who don't wait for a story to be complete to read it, who comment every chapter or almost every chapter - you're the reason stories get started and the reason they get finished. Updating to a silent crowd is a really awful feeling and your vocal support is what keeps the momentum going, what gets stuff finished. So, if you're one of those, walk with a little more pep in that step today. You helped this sugary-sweet, tooth-rotting thing happen. You did! </p><p>You! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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